Two years ago, USLCA launched our new Mission, Vision and Values, so like most toddlers at this age we are continuing to push our boundaries (but in a good way!) At the heart of all of those statements is a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusivity (DEI). At the start of our new year, and in reflection, I wanted to provide our membership with an update on our growth and affirm our continued commitment to this work.
At the beginning of last year our Advisory Board launched and has been providing meaningful suggestions and direction to the Board of Directors. In the last few months, we’ve launched an Advocacy committee to continue the hard work of making sure that lactation care providers are recognized and valued members of the healthcare team.
In August, we launched and awarded two scholarships for education for aspiring BIPOC IBCLC candidates and look forward to the next cycle of scholarship applications in the spring.
Throughout much of the past two years, we have served as a resource for our Chapters as they implemented many of these values and principles into their organizations. In fact, we are even highlighting the hard work of Pro-LC in the January newsletter.
As of January 1, we have implemented a new fee structure for our webinar, recognizing the need to equitably compensate for the time and talents our speakers bring to USLCA educational offerings.
Those who attended the 2019 conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, may remember that we had Dr. Adrienne Coleman join us. Dr. Coleman not only conducted a presentation review but was available on-site for any issues that arose. We are thrilled to be bringing Dr. Coleman back for a three-part series on DEI, details coming soon!
Thank you to all of our members who are on this journey with us. We hear you, we thank you, and we are committed to standing with you as we all work to dismantle the systemic racism so present in our healthcare systems, knowing that the weight of that work rests largely on our individual shoulders.
Best,
Michelle Stulberger
USLCA Board President
USLCA DEI Position Statement
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The content of this post does not imply endorsement and may not reflect the position of USLCA.
