Pennsylvania Hospital is the nation’s first hospital. Tammy Arbeter, IBCLC, was likely one of the nation’s first hospital-based IBCLCs! She started working with breastfeeding moms and babies 31 years ago and is still going strong. Originally, Tammy was employed by a forward thinking OB/GYN group who saw the value of providing breastfeeding help for their patients. Of course, patients who saw other OB providers wanted breastfeeding assistance from an expert as well, so Tammy made the case that the hospital should hire her so that she could be available to all of the breastfeeding families.
While the art of breastfeeding is timeless, what we know about it changes constantly. Tammy reads journal articles, attends conferences, and participates in scholarly discussions so that she can be the best IBCLC she possibly can. Her empirical knowledge is deep—with over 5000 births each year and a breastfeeding rate that is close to 90%, Tammy has worked with tens of thousands of families reflecting the rich cultural fabric of Philadelphia’s diverse population. Her warmth, humor and passion for what she does shines through to staff, providers, and patients alike.
Tammy has now had the deep satisfaction of helping some of the now grown “babies” she coaxed to mama’s breast put their own babies to breast. She also helped some of our own lactation staff members get their breastfeeding relationships off to a good start well before they were IBCLCs. Now that’s influence!
Tammy Arbeter, IBCLC, is a member who has and continues to make a difference!
USLCA is proud to highlight the great work being done by our members throughout the country. If you know of a member doing great work in your area, send an email to marketing@uslca.org and your story may be listed in an upcoming eNews!