Hackensack Meridian Health Jersey Shore University Medical Center Receives Award for Excellence in Lactation Care

The International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners® (IBLCE®) and International Lactation Consultant Association® (ILCA®) have recognized Hackensack Meridian Health Jersey Shore University Medical Center for excellence in lactation care.

Jersey Shore University Medical Center has received the IBCLC Care Award in recognition for staffing professionals who hold the prestigious International Board Certified Lactation Consultant® (IBCLC®) certification and providing a lactation program for breastfeeding families. In addition, the medical center demonstrated that it has recently completed activities that help protect, promote, and support breastfeeding.

Regina Maria Roig-Romero, Board Chair of IBLCE states, “Facilities that receive the IBCLC Care Award have taken initiative to improve the overall health of their patients by making breastfeeding a priority and implementing lactation support programs. An important part of providing excellent breastfeeding care is having expert assistance available when the breastfeeding family needs it. IBCLC professionals are the health care professionals best suited to help families achieve their breastfeeding goals.”

IBCLCs focus on preventive care, so they are available during pregnancy to assess and provide information on how to successfully initiate breastfeeding. They continue that assistance after the baby is born by helping families overcome breastfeeding challenges, providing accurate information, and continuing to support them as their baby grows. They assist families returning to work or school, help families in more unusual situations such as breastfeeding more than one baby or nursing a sick or premature infant, and help train nursing staff to manage basic breastfeeding care.

“We are extremely proud to receive the IBCLC Care Award and have a strong commitment to supporting breastfeeding initiatives,” says Joyce (McKeever) Thompson, clinical program manager at Jersey Shore University Medical Center. “In fact, the medical center is a designated Baby-Friendly Hospital, which is a global program sponsored by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund. The initiative encourages and recognizes hospitals that offer an optimal level of care for breastfeeding mothers and their babies.” Jersey Shore University Medical Center was the third hospital in New Jersey to receive the designation.

As proven by thorough extensive scientific research, breastfeeding is the best method to feed infants in the crucial first years of their lives. Breastfeeding has shown to be superior nutritionally, to offer an array of health benefits, and to secure the bond between mother and baby.

According to Michele Griswold, President of ILCA, “IBCLCs help families realize the most precious bond with their children. They also assist families in providing their children with the best possible start in life. At ILCA, we are proud to support the IBCLC Care Award because we recognize the significant contributions of IBCLCs to improving global health outcomes at the local level.”

As allied health care professionals with the leading internationally recognized certification for professional lactation services, IBCLC professionals work in hospitals and birthing centers, clinics, public health agencies, private practice, community settings, government agencies, and in research. There are currently more than 28,000 such professionals in 105 countries worldwide that are IBCLCs (www.iblce.org), a program independently accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA). NCCA accreditation represents a mark of quality for certification programs.

In addition to finding IBCLC professionals at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, families can also find an IBCLC near them by visiting www.ilca.org. Follow the “Find a Lactation Consultant” link and search for an IBCLC by postal code, city and state, or country.

For more information about the IBCLC Care Award program, contact IBLCE at award@iblce.org.

ABOUT HACKENSACK MERIDIAN HEALTH

Hackensack Meridian Health is a leading not-for-profit health care organization that is the most comprehensive and truly integrated health care network in New Jersey, offering a complete range of medical services, innovative research and life-enhancing care. Hackensack Meridian Health comprises 13 hospitals, including two academic medical centers, two children's hospitals and nine community hospitals, physician practices, more than 120 ambulatory care centers, surgery centers, home health services, long-term care and assisted living communities, ambulance services, lifesaving air medical transportation, fitness and wellness centers, rehabilitation centers, and urgent care and after-hours centers. Hackensack Meridian Health has 28,000 team members, more than 6,000 physicians and is a distinguished leader in health care philanthropy, committed to the health and well-being of the communities it serves.

The Network's notable distinctions include having one of only five major academic medical centers in the nation to receive Healthgrades America's 50 Best Hospitals Award for five or more consecutive years, the number one hospital in New Jersey as ranked by U.S. News and World Report, consistently achieving Magnet® recognition for nursing excellence from the American Nurses Credentialing Center, recipient of the John M. Eisenberg Award for Patient Safety and Quality from The Joint Commission and the National Quality Forum, a six-time recipient of Fortune's "100 Best Companies to Work For," one of the "20 Best Workplaces in Health Care" in the nation, and the number one "Best Place to Work for Women." Hackensack Meridian Health is a member of AllSpire Health Partners, an interstate consortium of leading health systems, to focus on the sharing of best practices in clinical care and achieving efficiencies.

The hospitals of Hackensack Meridian Health include: academic medical centers – Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune; children's hospitals – Joseph M. Sanzari Children's Hospital in Hackensack, K. Hovnanian Children's Hospital in Neptune; community hospitals – Ocean Medical Center in Brick, Riverview Medical Center in Red Bank, Mountainside Medical Center in Montclair, Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Perth Amboy, Southern Ocean Medical Center in Manahawkin, Bayshore Medical Center in Holmdel, Raritan Bay Medical Center in Old Bridge, and Pascack Valley Medical Center in Westwood.

For additional information, please visit www.HackensackMeridianHealth.org.

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