TCHC named Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace

WADENA, Minn. – Jan. 22, 2020  – Tri-County Health Care has been named a Breastfeeding Friendly Workplace by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) for its contributions to the health of mothers and their babies.

MDH recognizes workplaces and county health departments that have demonstrated their commitment to supporting breastfeeding mothers by creating a workplace lactation support program. The designation is achieved by adopting a written policy and educating staff about it; ensuring adequate break time for breastfeeding employees; providing a clean, private place to pump breast milk; and demonstrating a strong commitment to supporting breastfeeding in the workplace. After observing how often the first lactation space was used, TCHC added a second to further accommodate employees.

“When a mother makes the decision to breastfeed her baby, there is a lot of hard work involved and I want to make sure our lactation space is clean, comfortable, easy to access and a place where they can relax while pumping on their breaks,” said Sarah Riedel, TCHC OB supervisor and internationally board-certified lactation consultant. “This is a huge commitment from our employees who return to work and continue to pump for their babies, so we want to make this an easy transition for them.”

Breastfeeding is a foundational way to ensure that babies receive optimal nutrition during the first formative years of life. Studies show that infants who are breastfed have better health outcomes as they grow. MDH recognizes organizations that have taken a leadership role to improve breastfeeding rates and meet Healthy 2020 goals.

The designation acknowledges TCHC’s commitment to acting as a model for the community by supporting healthy families and receiving the business benefits of supporting nursing mothers.

This is MDH’s recognition program, which was created and is supported by the state Women, Infants and Children program (WIC) and the Statewide Health Improvement Partnership (SHIP). To learn more about how to become a breastfeeding friendly workplace, visit health.state.mn.us/breastfeedingfriendly.

ABOUT TRI-COUNTY HEALTH CARE
Tri-County Health Care is a private, not-for-profit health care system located in Wadena, Minnesota. It offers care services such as primary health, surgery, cancer care, diagnostic imaging, obstetrics, orthopedics and rehabilitation. Tri-County operates a hospital and medical clinic in Wadena, as well as five satellite clinics and two physical therapy clinics across Wadena, Todd and Otter Tail counties. Satellite clinic locations include Bertha, Henning, Ottertail, Sebeka and Verndale. Visit TCHC.org.