May 28, 2026
Valley Health System has proudly been recognized with the IBCLC Care Award by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners® (IBLCE®) and International Lactation Consultant Association® (ILCA®) for excellence in lactation care.
Valley has received the IBCLC Care Award in recognition of its Human Donor Milk Program and the International Board Certified Lactation Consultant® (IBCLC®) clinicians who provide this care to breastfeeding families. In addition, Valley has demonstrated that it has recently completed activities that help protect, promote, and support breastfeeding.
The Human Donor Milk program allows parents to remain exclusively breastfeeding by providing them with human donor breast milk. Whether it is for medical necessity or personal preference, human donor milk allows the newborn to continue receiving all the benefits of breastmilk while receiving the volume needed in the first few days of life. The human donor milk is received from the Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast, a nonprofit milk bank in Massachusetts.
“Valley is proud to have received this award for the education and rollout of our Human Donor Milk program and sustained efforts for providing exclusive breastmilk to newborns,” said Katie VerHage, MSN, BSN, RNC-OB, C-EFM, IBCLC, Manager of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Family Education for Valley Health System. “This has been a great initiative for Valley and our patients. Our teams are able to speak to the benefits of exclusive breastmilk feeding through the education provided.”
IBCLCs focus on preventive care, so they are available during pregnancy to assess and provide information on how to successfully initiate breastfeeding. They continue that assistance after the baby is born by helping families overcome breastfeeding challenges, providing accurate information, and continuing to support them as their baby grows. They assist families returning to work or school, help families in more unusual situations, such as breastfeeding more than one baby or nursing a sick or premature infant, and help train nursing staff to manage basic breastfeeding care.
“IBCLCs bring skilled, compassionate care to families during some of their most vulnerable moments, said Neelam Jawad, MBBS, MCPS, IBCLC, Chair of the Board of Directors of IBLCE. “They provide more than clinical support – they offer reassurance, confidence, and compassion when it matters most. We proudly recognize and deeply appreciate the CARE Award recipients for the heartfelt difference they make every day.”
As allied health care professionals with the leading internationally recognized certification for professional lactation services, IBCLC professionals work in hospitals and birthing centers, clinics, public health agencies, private practice, community settings, government agencies, and in research. There are currently nearly over 38,000 such professionals in 136 countries worldwide who are IBCLCs. According to the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners. The IBCLC certification program is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), the accreditation arm of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence. NCCA accreditation represents a mark of quality and excellence for professional certification programs.
For more information about breastfeeding services at Valley, including lactation support, please visit ValleyHealth.com/Breastfeeding.