October 20, 2009

The Westerly Hospital has been recognized with a gold-level Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace Award by The Rhode Island Breastfeeding Coalition and the Rhode Island Department of Health for providing a lactation room for employees.  The award was presented to Nurse Manager Mabel Payne, R.N., and staff nurse and lactation consultant, Susan Andrew, R.N., at a ceremony held at the Hospital on Monday.
 
Recognition as a Breastfeeding-Friendly Workplace is based on the successful establishment of supportive policies, facilities and resources for breastfeeding employees and clients.
 
Westerly Hospital has a written Nursing Working Mothers Policy that is distributed and promoted to employees which allows for a flexible work schedule to accommodate nursing mothers who need to pump. Additionally, breastfeeding benefit information is shared with employees through an internal newsletter and an information packet given to new employees. The services of lactation consultants working in the Health Center are also available to those employees who experience difficulty in nursing.

The Westerly Hospital was one of only two Rhode Island organizations to receive the gold-level award in 2009 for helping to create a supportive and comfortable environment for employees to breastfeed.

The Rhode Island Breastfeeding Coalition is a non-profit coalition of community organizations working to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding in Rhode Island. The coalition focuses on increasing breastfeeding knowledge and awareness among breastfeeding families and health care professionals, building community partnerships, and developing community resources, all towards the goal of increasing breastfeeding rates and durations to improve the health of mothers and babies in Rhode Island.