Nash Health Care earns honors for promoting breastfeeding

The North Carolina Breastfeeding Coalition (NCBC) recently honored Nash Health Care with two awards in recognition of its outstanding support and promotion of breastfeeding. Nash Health Care received the “Breastfeeding Friendly Business” and the “Breastfeeding Friendly Employer” awards. These awards are given annually to organizations that that have made accommodations to welcome breastfeeding mothers and employees into their places of business.

“Breastfeeding has numerous health benefits for both mother and baby, and we want to provide information and education to mothers to help them make informed decisions,” said Mary Strickland, MSN, executive director of the Women’s Center at Nash General Hospital. “It is an honor to be recognized by the breastfeeding coalition as we continue to strive to provide superior quality health care services for area women and infants.”

The NCBC brings together advocates and health care providers to support and promote breastfeeding throughout North Carolina. Founded in 2005, its health care providers, agencies and organizations provide an extensive forum for developing resources for families and breastfeeding professionals. According to the NCBC website, its vision is to ensure that “exclusive and continued breastfeeding is the norm in North Carolina.”

The NCBC states that breastfeeding-friendly employers not only benefit from lower absenteeism and turnover rates, but they also have lower health care costs and experience higher employee morale.

 The recently renovated Women’s Center at Nash General Hospital provides care for OB-GYN patients. Approximately 1,500 babies a year are born at the Women’s Center.

Members of the breastfeeding team at Nash Health Care accept two awards from the NC Breastfeeding Coalition. Manager of the Nash General Hospital Women’s Center Mary Strickland, MSN, (front row, center left) accepts the awards from coalition representative Victoria Brown (front row, center right). Members of the breastfeeding team pictured are (back row, left to right): Kim Joyner, Chanee Sullivan, Amanda White, Janice Alford, Debbie Lynn, and Nitaya Reyes. Members of the breastfeeding team not pictured are: Christie Poling, Cynthia Akoto, Chris Morningstar, Sheila Moore, and Dr. Kamlesh Athavale