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LewisGale Hospital Montgomery Receives Breastfeeding Award

May 14, 2012

Contact: Joy Sutton, Marketing Communications Mgr.
LewisGale Regional Health System - (540) 776-4739 or (540) 529-3137

Contact: Nancy May, VP Marketing & PR
LewisGale Regional Health System - (540) 776-4754 or (540) 537-3475

Blacksburg, VA, May, 2012 – When it comes to providing support to breastfeeding mothers, the Birthing Center at LewisGale Hospital Montgomery is nationally recognized for excelling in lactation care. The hospital recently received the IBCLC Care Award from the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners and the International Lactation Consultant Association. In addition, the Virginia Department of Health commended the hospital for being one of only 12 facilities in the Commonwealth to achieve this distinction.

To qualify for this special award, the hospital had to meet several key criteria, proving it offers the highest level of lactation care.

• Maintains one or more International Board Certified Lactation Consultants® on staff
• Offers a lactation support program five to seven days a week
• Provides training for medical staff that care for breastfeeding families
• Promotes projects to provide support for breastfeeding mothers or the lactation consultant profession

“We feel fortunate that our hospital is on the forefront of promoting breastfeeding,” said Evalin Trice, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. “We know it’s one of the most important current health issues and provides significant benefits to mothers and babies.”

For more than 20 years, LewisGale Hospital Montgomery has offered a lactation program. The program is open seven days a week and includes five Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultants. The lactation team includes Dot Dalton, Melanie Davis, Jean Duestch, Evalin Trice and Marjorie Young. The program offers several services including prenatal breast feeding education, two mother support groups, and assistance to inpatients and outpatients.

“This award reflects our commitment to the community by providing services proven to give families a healthy start,” said Scott Hill, CEO, LewisGale Hospital Montgomery.

About LewisGale Hospital Montgomery

LewisGale Hospital Montgomery is a part of LewisGale Regional Health System which includes 38 HCA-owned patient care facilities including 4 hospitals, 2 regional cancer centers, 6 outpatient centers and affiliations with nearly 700 physicians, including 135 employed providers and 550 independent physicians. With 3,100 employees, its annual payroll is $220.7 million. The system also paid $35 million in taxes and provided more than $96 million in uncompensated care to those most in need in 2011 alone. LewisGale is also part of HCA Virginia, the largest and most comprehensive healthcare provider in the Commonwealth with more than 13,000 employees. For more information see www.lewisgale.com.