President's Web Corner January 1, 2012

 

 

Welcome to the OLCA President's Corner

Noreen Edwards RNC, IBCLC

 

As we enter a new year, we need to see where we have been and make our plans for the future. In the last year, OLCA has made many advancements. We revised and are reprinting the policies and procedures, making minor changes in structure but several changes in the focus of the board and duties. We spent time becoming more focused on the goals of our group and stepping out with awareness of the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative and the 10 Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. Our conference in 2011 focused on this awareness and the information was so well received we are continuing to focus on BFHI at our 2012 conference. The team of conference coordinators ( Linda Smith, Donna Walls and Amanda Jones ) have prepared a second conference that will involve more of the steps toward baby friendly and give momentum to your lactation practice.

Personally, I want to thank you for the honor of being the President and also thank you for allowing me to be your representative at the International Lactation Consultants Association Conference. Networking with the leaders of our trade and connection to the "Latch on America" bus tour were highlights of our trip . As a member of the leadership team, I also became involved with an initiative to be vocal at the Ohio Dept of Health for breastfeeding advocacy. We are preparing to continue this relationship of visibility at the state level. As leaders in the effort of increasing breastfeeding rates and advocating for proper nutrition of newborns, we need to stay connected to our state leaders. I cannot thank Jen Foster, Linda Smith, Sylvia Ellison and Ann Twiggs enough for their efforts in this collaborative. .

2011 has increased out membership with more than 20 new IBCLCs. We welcome you to our group and hope you will find the network of LC in our state to be a benefit to your practice.

As we enter 2012 we need to focus on collaboration with all breastfeeding support through our local coalitions and our leadership. One thing each of us can do is to work to grow our local groups to involve business and professional support to enhance support for mothers and babies, increase breastfeeding rates and ultimately make a healthier Ohio.

See you all in March at the Breastfest.. Look for registration information and links to power points that you will be able to print or download and bring to the conference. They should be available soon. The Breastfest will be Friday March16 (evening sessions) and Saturday March17.

Please check the conference page for power points in full from the conference

 

Educational Opportunities

Remember to let other members know about any continuing educational opportunites. Just send the date and times, title, place and contact information to "Contact Us" and we will place on the web site.

2011 OLCA  Meetings

All OLCA meetings and CERP offerings are held at Mt. Carmel Hopsital, in Columbus. Meetings, open to the membership, begin at 10:00am with CERP offering from 1:00pm to 3:00pm. Look for the 2011 schedule

OLCA's new permanent address

Our new address is:    6077 Far Hills Avenue      PMB# 288      Centerville, Ohio 45459

OLCA goes "green"

Please share any ideas or suggestions how OLCA or any other breastfeeding supportive groups can follow the lead of breastfeeding and reduce the packaging, paper usage, energy or any other carbon reducing activities. We will be posting ideas in the Headline section of the web site. Look for the "Going Green" contest coming next Spring!

Our "sister Partner" is new

We have again contributed to the ILCA Partner program.

Jean Whitacre retired this year so we picked a new international IBCLC to be part of OLCA and sponsored to ILCA.

She is Irina Ryukhova from
the Natural Feeding Consultant Association of Russia

Irina loves breastfeeding mothers and babies. Her letters will be posted in the Newsletter.

Thanks for supporting OLCA