California Bill Expands Access to Breastfeeding Care and Services
March 7, 2007 by Amy Spangler | 3 questions or comments
California Capital Rotunda
State Capital
Hospitals that provide maternity services and whose exclusive breastfeeding rates are among the lowest 25 percent of state ratings, must offer a minimum of 8 hours of training to appropriate administrative and supervisory staff on policies and recommendations for the promotion of breastfeeding among low-income women.
Effective July 1, 2007, the California State Department of Public Health will assume responsibility for the administration of the California WIC program and a public service campaign to include promotion of breastfeeding.
On or before July 1, 2008, the California State Department of Public Health must expand existing breastfeeding promotion programs at WIC program sites, and fund new programs.
An unspecified sum will be allocated from the General Fund to the State Department of Public Health to fund these new programs.
Existing Medi-Cal program procedures will be streamlined in order to improve access to lactation support and breast pumps.
Congratulations, California breastfeeding advocates!
Senate Bill 22 Overcomes First Hurdle
On Monday, April 2, 2007, the Senate Health Committee voted 6-2 approving Senate Bill 22. The bill now moves to the Senate Appropriations Committee. Stay tuned for future updates.
Please keep me posted for future updates!
I want to know local stations where patients can rent breastpumps in San Diego, California.
Also, do you have a template on how to run an 8-hour training on breastfeeding for nurses and patients?
Thanks,
Chit
Local breastfeeding coalitions, lactation consultants, and maternity hospitals are a good source for information on where breast pumps can be rented locally. If you contact www.ilca.org you can access a listing of International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) Not all IBCLCs rent breast pumps but they likely know who does.
If you are looking for a particular breast pump, I would suggest visiting the manufacturer’s web site for a listing of local rental stations or contacting their Customer Service department.
There are many health care facilities nationwide that have implemented 8-hour training programs for staff. Again, I would contact the local birth facilities to see if they have a curriculum they are willing to share. Wellstart, a non-profit organization located in San Diego developed a wide range of training programs for health professionals. Audrey Naylor is the Director of Wellstart and currently serves as Chair of the US Breastfeeding Committee. You can reach Audrey by contacting the US Breastfeeding Committee at www.usbreastfeeding.org. I am not aware of any 8-hour training program for patients. Most parent education programs are 2-4 hours. Good luck!