EJGH Woman & Child Services Earns Awards for Outstanding Care

The Woman & Child Department at East Jefferson General Hospital has recently received two outstanding honors that speak volumes about our ability to provide excellence in care to the families in our community. Both honors reinforce that EJGH is not only a local leader in maternity services but a state and national leader as well.

The first award is the Care Award from the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners. EJGH is the only site in our area to be chosen for this special recognition. This is given to hospitals, birthing facilities, and birthing services that have International Board Certified Lactation Consultants on their staff. The award, in conjunction with the International Lactation Consultants Association, evaluates a center’s overall breastfeeding program and includes such areas as program support, breastfeeding training for staff, and offering lactation support to new mothers at least five to seven days a week.

Our team is extremely proud that we have met or surpassed the stringent criteria needed for this award. It shows that we continually set the bar of expectations higher and higher because we know how important it is to the health of the families in our community. Breastfeeding offers so many advantages to the physical and mental growth of the baby and also offers tangible benefits to the breastfeeding mom, which is why East Jefferson dedicates resources to provide community education classes and seminars as well as lactation support 24 hours a day.

“We are so proud of the accomplishments of our Lactation Department,” said Paula Adamcewicz, RN, Director of EJGH Woman and Child Services. “Under the guidance of their leader, Barbara Carson, RN, the EJGH lactation nurses have implemented evidence-based patient care practices, and provide ongoing breastfeeding education for the entire care team. All of our Woman and Child lactation nurses are truly dedicated professionals committed to supporting the quality of care for our patients and the community. We are honored to receive the award.”

In addition to the Care Award, EJGH’s lactation program was re-certified as a Gift (Guided Infant Feeding Techniques) Facility by the Louisiana Maternal and Child Health Coalition, the Louisiana Perinatal Commission, and the Louisiana Office of Public Health – Maternity and Child Health Program. This re-certification means that EJGH will also receive its Golden Gift Breast-Feeding Award.

In naming EJGH with this award, their evaluation report concluded that “East Jefferson’s dedication and commitment to breastfeeding and quality improvement serves as a role model for the rest of Louisiana. EJGH has also shown exemplary performance in providing mothers and their babies with the best possible start in life – immediate and continuous skin-to-skin contact. Lastly, we believe your outstanding lactation staffing has led EJGH to have one of the most comprehensive lactation programs in the state.”