WALC
Wisconsin Association of Lactation Consultants
Minutes for WALC meeting of Friday, January 19, 2007
Ruth Sweet, WALC secretary
Host: Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare - Wauwatosa
Educational Content: Lisa Brock gave her presentation titled “Crisis Delivery to Success at Breast” which described many of the procedures being followed and being innovated in the NICU at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin that are increasing breastfeeding success for their population.
The WALC web site is now up and running. But if you have the site bookmarked on your computer, that bookmark will take you to the OLD website. To access our new website, you will need to type out the new address and then bookmark it again. While the visible address looks the same, the domain has changed.
http://walc.net/index.htm is the location.Our new webmaster is Stacie Comer, THANK YOU!
Business Meeting
Called to order by Donna Bisbee at 12:30 pmThe previous minutes were accepted as written. Whenever you notice problems with the minutes, please notify the secretary, Ruth Sweet
jsweet@ssc.wisc.edu , or one of the other officers.Treasurer’s Report: Kathie Russell reported a treasury balance of $6510, conference monies are moving in and out.
Program Committee: Please check our web site for updated information about programs.
WALC Conference is March 15 & 16 at the Paper Valley Hotel in Appleton. Speakers are Tom Hale, Dianna West and Kay Hoover. We will be celebrating WALC’s 20th anniversary.
It is time to register and make hotel reservations.
Clinic Day is Tuesday May 15 in Mauston. Winnie will discuss pumping to bottle feed and is requesting additional info if you have some.
Friday, September 21, 2007 ILCA reports Green Bay. Remember that you must attend this meeting to give your report if you accept any funds from WALC for attending the ILCA conference in San Diego.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007 Report from the UW Cleft lip and palate team. Meriter Hospital, Madison
Membership Committee: The membership form for next year is attached.
WALC has a yahoo contact group. Ruth Sweet moderates or you can ask for membership at Yahoo.
If you are not on this list serve you may miss out on important new information on the status of our breastfeeding support political activities.
Conference Committee: If you need additional conference materials, go to:
http://www.walc.net/07WALCflyer.pdfIt is time to register and time to make hotel reservations.
Resources: no report
Scholarships Committee: no report
New Business:
Election for WALC president. A ballot is included with these minutes. Please vote and return by stated date.
The Controversial IBLCE Scope of Practice, developed last fall, has been removed from their website. In response to objection to certain aspects of the guidelines for LCs and because IBLCE as an accrediting body does not have the authority to design such regulations, ILCA is reviewing its own Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics. These guidelines for lactation consultants will be updated with input from professionals in the field. ILCA's newsletter, E-Globe, is a reliable means of keeping abreast of our professional organization.
The newly formed United States Lactation Consultants Association (USCLA)
is an integral part of ILCA and will serve to address issues unique to the
United States including standards of practice, ethics, and reimbursement.
Joining ILCA includes membership in USLCA. It is important that we all
stay informed with its activities and that we are involved and responsive to our
organization. ILCA's newsletter, E-Globe, is a reliable means of keeping
abreast of our professional organization. As an ILCA member you will receive
this newsletter.
Lactnet Archives can give you access to what lactation consultants are
discussing and learning, including information about Standards of Practice, Code
of Ethics and Scope or Practice.
Political activities that involve breastfeeding issues: There have been local and national resolutions relevant to breastfeeding. Keep informed and keep involved. There are many ways to support these activities. To find out who represents you, go to
http://www.legis.state.wi.usThe Malony bill will again be introduced to the US Congress, contact your representatives. To view U.S. Representative Carolyn Maloney's work on breastfeeding legislation at the national level, go to
http://maloney.house.gov/index.php?option=com_issues&task=view_issue&issue=262&parent=20&Itemid=35
Senator Risser will introduce a bill in the WI legislature, it has previously not gotten out of committee. The language for this bill is "A mother may breast-feed her child in any public or private location where the mother is otherwise authorized to be. No person may interfere with the right of a mother to breast-feed her child as provided in this section." We will need to rally support for the breastfeeding bill this year, contacting State Senators from all districts, asking them to cosponsor and support and vote for this bill.
Snail mail seems to be more effective than email, personal appearance is even better. Letters need to be individually written and not copies of what someone else has written. Do not repeat the advantages of breastfeeding but do address the reason that the bill is needed.
We will send updates to the WALC yahoo list serve and will post some contacts on the website. If you learn something before we post it, please send it out to all of us. (Any list serve member can post to the WALC list serve.)
The meeting was adjourned at 1310 PM.