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333427
Supporting Breastfeeding for Low Income Women in Community Healthcare Centers


Sunday, November 1, 2015

Anne Kashiwa, School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics - Center for Community Health, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA
Shana Wright, MPH, CHES, School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics - Center for Community Health, University of Califonia San Diego, San Diego, CA
Naomi Billups, Public Health Services, County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency, San Diego, CA
Deirdre Browner, MPH, Public Health Services, County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency, San Diego, CA
Dean Sidelinger, MD, MSEd, Public Health Services, County of San Diego, Health and Human Services Agency, San Diego, CA
background: Breastfeeding has tremendous health benefits for both infants and their mothers. Breastfeeding duration differs substantially by race, socioeconomic background, and other demographic factors. Community Healthcare Centers (CHCs) are main providers of health care services for medically underserved communities and vulnerable populations. Therefore, a focus on supporting breastfeeding for women seen at CHCs can be an important strategy in reducing health inequities. The Lactation Supportive Environments (LSE) initiative in San Diego County focuses on obesity prevention through capacity building and systems changes to increase access to environments that support the initiation and duration of breastfeeding.  

methods: Through the LSE initiative, six CHCs were recruited to receive assistance in enhancing lactation support for their clients and employees. Each CHC completed an initial assessment and received an action plan touching on ten strategies across environmental, clinical, and sustainability interventions to help address breastfeeding support goals. To enhance quality improvement efforts, CHCs are encouraged to record feeding, including type, in a standard manner in electronic health records (EHRs).

results: Through innovative partnerships and an advisory committee, CHCs are addressing the following strategies: implementation of breastfeeding supportive policies and environments (infant feeding policies, breastfeeding friendly office environment policies, and workplace lactation accommodation policies), staff education, clinical services (including standard documentation in EHRs), patient education, community resources, and financial sustainability including billing for breastfeeding services.

conclusions: Through the development of an LSE advisory committee, innovative partnerships, environmental strategies, and financial sustainability plans, CHCs are better equipped to create policies and environments supportive of breastfeeding.

Learning Areas:

Program planning
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines

Learning Objectives:
Identify effective methods to recruit CHCs in developing lactation supportive environments. List program strategies, including key policies and other tools, for CHCs to implement which are necessary to meet breastfeeding support goals.

Keyword(s): Breastfeeding, Policy/Policy Development

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered

Back to: 2043.0: Poster snapshots of current breastfeeding research