Lactation consultant and counselors at Littauer strive to increase breast feeding rates locally

Nancy Quinlan, RN, and Lactation Consultant works with a new breast feeding mother, Nicole VanNostrand and her baby Chloe.

Nathan Littauer Hospital is joining the International Lactation Consultant Association in celebrating IBCLC Day on March 7, 2012. This year’s theme “IBCLCs Make an Impact” highlights how the expertise of International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) can make a difference in the health and well being of children and their mothers. Nathan Littauer has one lactation consultant and 4 lactation counselors, more than any other hospital in the region. Nancy Quinlan, RN and IBCLC has been employed at Nathan Littauer for two years. She explains, “I have chosen to be a lactation consultant because I truly believe it makes a lasting impact, from birth and beyond.”

IBCLCs have years of training and continuing study to enable them to inform, assist and support women during pregnancy, early days after birth and as the baby grows including: getting off to a good start with breastfeeding, continuing to breastfeed after returning to work or school, breastfeeding a premature or sick infant, and preventing and managing challenges that might occur. Kelly Hartz, the manager of Nathan Littauer’s Birthing Center explains, “Our Lactation Consultant and counselors are the very definition of supportive. They call patients at home, come in to help struggling mothers on their day off and hold free weigh-ins for nursing moms so that they can monitor their success. It really is a process and our lactation consultants are there every step of the way for our moms.” Nancy agrees noting, “Anything I can do to support a mom, I will.”

“The process to become an IBCLC is very rigorous. For example, Nancy must recertify her credentials every five years and take the entire exam over again every ten years. It is a serious process meant for only those who are very committed to breast feeding support.” states Kelly Hartz. Adding “And Nancy’s expertise and passion will intimately benefit our entire region.”

Nancy Quinlan, a Board Certified Lactation Consultant left and Laureen Steenburg, a licensed practical nurse and lactation counselor work to promote breastfeeding at Littauer.

According to Cathy Carothers, President of the International Lactation Consultant Association, “How an infant is fed can have a lifelong impact on their health. Mother’s milk helps develop a strong immune system that can respond to fight off infections. Nancy Quinlan states, “Breast milk is like liquid gold!” The rising incidence of obesity and diabetes will have a major impact on health, and both these conditions are more likely to develop in children and in mothers when babies are not breastfed. IBCLCs make an impact on the quality of breastfeeding care provided by health services where they are employed and thus an impact for children and mothers.”

There are currently more than 25,000 IBCLCs in 90 countries worldwide who are certified by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (www.iblce.org) under the direction of the U.S. National Commission for Certifying Agencies. The International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA) is the professional association for IBCLCs and other health care professionals who care for breastfeeding families. ILCA’s mission is to advance the profession of lactation consulting worldwide through leadership, advocacy, professional development, and research. Nancy concludes, “I want mothers to know that this is a unique gift they can give their child.”

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For more information about ILCA, visit the website at www.ilca.org For more information about lactation consulting at Nathan Littauer please visit our website at ww.nlh.org

Nathan Littauer credits their smart technology plan over the last five years for its recent technology accomplishment: a CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) incentive. “This is a major milestone and we are thrilled to be one of the first hospitals in the state to reach this level of electronic competency” stated Laurence E. Kelly, Hospital President and CEO. Nathan Littauer is one of only five hospitals to receive an incentive payment. The NY Medicaid EHR Incentive Payment program funded by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is designed to help defray the costs of installing and using electronic medical records to track, manage and follow their patients. The program was created by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act and offers healthcare providers financial incentives for implementing and demonstrating meaningful use of an EHR system. “Littauer started upgrading our medical records system long before this program came into fruition. It is great to know we built a world-class system.” stated Mr. Kelly. Littauer’s electronic health record system meets a certain federal standard to qualify as technologies that have “meaningful use”. Mr. Kelly added, “We are part of a nationwide effort to modernize healthcare information technology because it is efficient and can control healthcare costs. But in the end it is THE PATIENT who benefits the most.”According to a report issued by the federal government on January 5, 2012 only 5 hospitals in New York have received the monies. “To our knowledge,” stated Mr. Kelly, “we are one of the few hospitals in the region to receive payments.”

Nathan Littauer is an early adopter of technology

Meaningful use is defined by the Federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) as “The use of certified electronic records in a meaningful manner such as prescribing, the submission of clinical quality measures and the exchange of health information to improve the quality of health care.” It is not an easy journey for any hospital. “Electronic Records Systems are very expensive to purchase and require a tremendous amount of man-hours to transition staff and physicians.” explained Marty Brown, Littauer’s Chief Information Officer. Mr. Brown said, “It is one thing to have the technology, it is quite another to use the technology in a highly pressurized situation like in our Emergency Department.” Mr. Brown reports that all departments are using the technology. The meaningful use payments are helping the hospital to defray the costs associated with adoption of the system.

“Over the last five years Nathan Littauer has invested over 5 million dollars in our technology” Mr. Brown said. Adding, “While this payment helps, it also affirms that we are definitely going in the right direction.” Mr. Brown explains that his staff has spent numerous hours with physicians and providers to make sure they are at ease with the system. “While it was tedious work, we were driven by the fact that our patients ultimately benefit.”

EHR adoption incentives from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are offered to physicians, providers, and hospitals until 2015, after which the federal government may levy penalties for failing to adopt electronic health records.

Hospital Spokesperson Cheryl McGrattan is not surprised by the distinction stating, “Nathan Littauer has always been an early adopter of technology, electronic health records included.” Recently, the hospital also hosted a conference for electronic medical record users. “People from all over the country came to learn from our team.” She explained, “It was very gratifying.”

The organization credits its success on a communicative interdisciplinary team which continually strives for seamless patient care. “This is a real testament to the quality of the staff that we have at the hospital.” Mr. Brown concluded, “We strive for a single patient chart throughout our system so our team in the hospital, outpatient care centers, nursing home, and Emergency Department are all working from the same record with the same patient information. That’s really important for assuring quality patient care in a multi-facility healthcare system like ours.”