It's time to get educated on
World Breast-feeding week. Below is a recent press release from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
Colorado Organizations Receive Breast-feeding Friendly Worksite Awards
Denver - The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's Physical Activity and Nutrition Program, in collaboration with the Colorado Breast-feeding Task Force, announced the names of 37 Colorado businesses and organizations receiving Breast-feeding Friendly Worksite Awards on July 27. The awards, announced in anticipation of World Breast-feeding Week, Aug. 1-7, recognize businesses and organizations that provide supportive workplace environments and practices for female employees who are breast-feeding their babies.
Two Colorado hospitals, University of Colorado Hospital and Sky Ridge Medical Center, earned gold-level awards. Thirteen organizations received silver designations and 22 garnered bronze-level awards. Bronze, silver and gold designations signify increasing levels of support from recipient organizations. Additional businesses and organizations were recognized with honorable mention designations.
This makes two years in a row that University of Colorado Hospital, recently relocated to Aurora, received the gold designation. Sky Ridge Medical Center, located in Lone Tree, is a new gold recipient.
"A number of organizations expanded their breast-feeding support efforts, qualifying for a higher award than they received in 2006," said
Karen Cox, coordinator with the Colorado Physical Activity and Nutrition Program and a member of the Colorado Breast-feeding Task Force. The task force is a volunteer organization, founded in 1990, made up of physicians, public health and clinical nurses, public health nutritionists, lactation consultants, lay counselors and members of the business community.
Cox said the awards are based on responses to surveys the program distributes to Colorado businesses and organizations. "We're increasing efforts to distribute the surveys more widely in rural areas," she said.
Organizations are recognized according to their level of implementation of such measures as providing a specific break room for use only by breast-feeding women; creating a written company policy that allows breaks for pumping milk or breast-feeding; communicating company breast-feeding policy to all employees; and permitting part-time work, job sharing, individualized scheduling of work hours, compressed workweeks or telecommuting to accommodate breast-feeding schedules.
This year's theme for World Breast-feeding Week, "Breast-feeding: The 1st Hour," focuses on the importance of initiating breast-feeding during the first hour after birth.
"Getting breast-feeding started in the first hour of life increases the likelihood that breast-feeding will continue," said
Jennifer Dellaport, breast-feeding promotion coordinator for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's Women, Infants and Children Program and chairperson of the Colorado Breast-feeding Task Force. "Workplaces that accommodate working mothers who choose to continue breast-feeding will help those moms avoid using formula. And it is exclusive breastfeeding, meaning the infant receives only breast milk, for the first six months of life that has been shown to provide improved protection against many diseases. Breast-feeding benefits the family and the work place."
Because the practices and environments of hospitals are so important in promoting breast-feeding during the first hour, said Cox, the Colorado Physical Activity and Nutrition Program is working with all 55 birthing centers in Colorado, encouraging them to adopt model breast-feeding policies. "Hospitals also are work sites," she said, noting that this year's two gold winners are hospitals.
Cox said the program provides annual grants to organizations wanting to build or expand upon a worksite breast-feeding program. Information is available at
www.livewellcolorado.com.
For more information on breast-feeding, contact the following organizations:
Colorado Breast-feeding Task Force, 303-869-1888
La Leche League, 303-779-6722
Women, Infants and Children Program, 303-692-2400
Family Healthline, 1-800-688-7777
Colorado Physical Activity and Nutrition Program, 303-692-2441
Mothers' Milk Bank, 303-869-1888
International Lactation Consultant Association, www.ilca.org or 1-919-861-5577
National Breast-feeding Helpline, 1-800-994-9662
The list of Colorado businesses and organizations receiving the 2007 Breast-feeding Friendly Worksite Awards are as follows:
Gold Level
Sky Ridge Medical Center, Lone Tree, 720-225-1026
University of Colorado Hospital, Denver, 720-848-6034
Silver Level
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Denver, 303-831-2024
Colorado Housing and Finance Authority, Denver, 303-297-7463
Colorado Plains Medical Center, Fort Morgan, 970-867-3391
First Data Corporation, Greenwood Village, 303-967-6976
Kaiser Permanente, Wheat Ridge, 303-421-6026
Memorial Health System, Colorado Springs, 719-365-5000
Merrick & Company, Aurora, 303-353-3522
Presbyterian/St. Luke's Hospital, Denver, 303-839-7355
Raytheon Company, Aurora, 303-344-6945
The Children's Hospital, Denver, 303-861-6861
The Medical Center of Aurora, South Campus; Aurora, 303-691-2709
Valley View Hospital, Glenwood Springs, 970-384-7227
Visiting Nurse Corporation of Colorado, Denver, 303-698-2121
Bronze Level
Alumni Consulting Group, Greenwood Village, 303-850-0073
Archstone-Smith, Englewood, 303-708-6952
Arkansas Valley Regional Medical Center, La Junta, 719-383-6059
Burkett Design Inc., Denver, 303-256-1117
Colorado Public Employees' Retirement Association, Denver, 303-837-6205
Craig Hospital, Englewood, 303-789-8815
Denver Water, Denver, 303-628-6119
Fuller Real Estate, Denver, 303-292-3700
Haxtun Hospital District, Haxtun, 970-774-6123
Lincoln Community Hospital and Nursing Home, Hugo, 719-743-2421
North Suburban Medical Center, 303-457-7743
Pella Windows & Doors Inc., Denver, 303-350-5639
Prowers Medical Center, Lamar, 719-336-4343
SANDOZ, Broomfield, 303-466-2400
TeleTech, Englewood, 303-397-8415
The Denver Foundation, Denver, 303-300-1790
The Memorial Hospital, Craig, 970-824-9411
TIAA-CREF, Denver, 303-607-2492
University of Denver, Denver, 303-871-4286
URS Corporation, Denver, 303-694-2700
Western Union, Englewood, 720-332-3364
Yampa Valley Medical Center, Steamboat Springs, 970-870-1118
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If you're interested in participating in a Web cast or attending "Supporting Breast-feeding Moms at the Worksite" from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. August 1, be sure to register with
Barry Strand or call 303-692-2574. Learn how to increase employee retention, attendance, and job satisfaction, by supporting breast-feeding mothers in the workforce while saving healthcare costs.
So, folks ...
*
What are your thoughts on breast-feeding?
*Does your place of work cater to mothers who are currently breast-feeding? Why or why not?
*Do you think women should be able to breast-feed their child in public places?
*When do you think it's normal for a baby to stop breast-feeding?
*Do you have any advice or tips based on your own experiences or what you've witnessed with other women in your life?
Post your comments below or write/post your own story regarding this intriguing topic.
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