GBMC Recognized By International Organization For Excellence

...Lactation Care

Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC) again recently received the prestigious IBCLC Care Award from the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE) and the International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA) for excellence in lactation care and dedication in supporting and promoting breastfeeding.

The award is given to hospitals and community based facilities that are found to protect, promote and support the clinical management of breastfeeding, provide regular training for staff members who care for breastfeeding families, and support evidence-based projects. Specific criteria include having dedicated lactation program available five to seven days a week for breast-feeding families and having staff that is currently IBCLC (International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant) certified.

GBMC provides lactation consultants and a community based breastfeeding support group. Breastfeeding rooms are also available at GBMC for employees, patients and visitors and a warm line is available for parents to call for answers to breastfeeding questions.

“Our medical center has always been one of the busiest hospitals for births in Baltimore and we have a wonderful team of caregivers, available to our patients, who do their best to ensure that lactation education and care are available to every breastfeeding family,” said Jodie Bell, MSN, RNC-LRN, IBCLC, assistant director of Women’s & Children’s Services at GBMC. “This recognition validates the efforts being made by our facility and our multi-disciplinary team of nurses, nursing support technicians, lactation consultants, obstetricians, advanced practitioners, neonatologists, pediatricians, and anesthesiologists to help mothers get off to a good start with breastfeeding and to support them in reaching their goals.”

GBMC, one of a few hospitals in the Baltimore region to receive this designation until the year 2022, has eight RN, International Board-Certified Lactation Consultants on staff who are available to provide lactation support, seven days a week from 7 am-10:30 pm, to breastfeeding mothers throughout the hospital, not just in the Maternal Newborn Health area.

With this recognition, GBMC is included in the IBCLC Care Directory, which recognizes hospitals and other healthcare facilities that have a lactation program and that hire healthcare professionals with IBCLC certification.

This is the fourth concurrent two-year cycle, since 2014, GBMC has received this global recognition.

Founded in 1985, IBLCE is the global authority that determines the competence of practitioners in lactation and breastfeeding care. ILCA is the professional association for IBCLCs and other health care professionals who care for breastfeeding families.