Hospital of Central Connecticut awarded for excellence in lactation care

February 27, 2014 By Kimberly Gensicki, 860-224-5900 X6507

New Britain - The Hospital of Central Connecticut has been recognized for excellence in lactation care, receiving the IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant®) Care Award.

The award was given to the hospital by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners® (IBLCE®) and International Lactation Consultant Association® (ILCA®). It recognizes the hospital’s staffing of IBCLC professionals and provision of a comprehensive breastfeeding support program for families. The award also recognizes medical staff training toward breastfeeding support and management. HOCC employs two IBCLCs and also offers a breastfeeding support group. This marks the third time HOCC has received the award since 2011.

“This award recognizes the outstanding work our lactation consultants have done in educating our staff to best support our families on their breastfeeding journey,” says neonatologist Annmarie Golioto, M.D., director of Nurseries at HOCC. “We are proud of the care we provide and see this award as a complement to our baby-friendly hospital initiative which supports the best practices in infant feeding.”

According to Liz Brooks, president of ILCA, “This recognition highlights the efforts being made by maternity facilities all across the world to help mothers get off to a good start with breastfeeding, and to support them in reaching their goals. IBCLC is the leading internationally recognized lactation certification in the world, and IBCLC certificants are highly skilled in helping mothers with the questions and concerns that can arise. They are also an important part of the overall maternal and child health team by assuring that evidence-based policies and practices are in place that help mothers succeed with breastfeeding.”

IBCLCs can assess women while pregnant to address any barriers or concerns about initiating breastfeeding. Assistance to mothers continues after birth and as mothers transition to varied situations including returning to work, nursing multiple children or a sick infant requiring care in a neonatal ICU. There are more than 26,500 IBCLC professionals in 96 countries who are certified by IBLCE.

The Hospital of Central Connecticut (HOCC) is a 414-bed, 32-bassinet acute care teaching hospital with two campuses, New Britain General and Bradley Memorial in Southington. A member of Hartford HealthCare, HOCC services include emergency, inpatient, surgery, laboratory, outpatient, and radiology. Among specialty areas are cardiovascular care, metabolic health, obstetrics, oncology, orthopedics, and psychiatry/behavioral health. For more information, please visit www.thocc.org; for a physician referral, call 1-800-321-6244.