Developing a Pathway 2 Lactation Training Program to Meet Community Needs

The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding strategically promotes the need for increased access to International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs). There is growing concern that underserved women are not being provided adequate professional lactation care due to the limited number of IBCLCs of color.  The Mary Rose Tully Training Initiative (MRT-TI) was originally established to increase the number and diversity of IBCLC's in North Carolina and to develop leaders in the fields of lactation and public health.  MRT-TI is one of five pathway 2 programs in the US approved through the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners.  MRT-TI students complete a rigorous residential academic program that requires clinical lactation practice and lactation specific didactic education to become eligible to sit for the IBCLC exam.  In existence since 2009, MRT-TI boasts a 100 percent pass rate on the exam.

This session will focus on lessons learned, efforts towards increasing student diversity and methods used to strategically select hospital and community based clinical sites, meeting the needs of underserved populations. We will share two methods used to evaluate the program beyond exam results.  Survey results from 30 alumni identified five concrete areas of recommendation for the program. Recommendations will be explored in the context of the mission of MRT-TI.  GIS mapping strategies for analysis of program alumni job distribution, breastfeeding rates, and identification of potential hospital and University partners across the state will be shared as a model for developing additional pathway 2 programs across the US.