Empire State IBCLC Association, Inc.

cordially invites you to
The Columnist
on Broadway
starring
Emmy Award Winner John Lithgow
Sunday, May 20, 2012
2:00 pm
The Manhattan Theatre Club’s
Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
261 West 47th Street
between Broadway and 8th Avenue
$75 Ticket
Includes Q & A with the cast after the play
Proceeds benefit Empire State IBCLC Association’s efforts to standardize licensing for International Board Certified Lactation Consultants as certified health care professionals in NY State
The Columnist
on Broadway
starring
Emmy Award Winner John Lithgow
Sunday, May 20, 2012
2:00 pm
The Manhattan Theatre Club’s
Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
261 West 47th Street
between Broadway and 8th Avenue
$75 Ticket
Includes Q & A with the cast after the play
Proceeds benefit Empire State IBCLC Association’s efforts to standardize licensing for International Board Certified Lactation Consultants as certified health care professionals in NY State
John Lithgow in The Columnist

Tony and Emmy Award winner John Lithgow will star as newspaper scribe Joseph Alsop in the Broadway world premiere of David Auburn's The Columnist, directed by Daniel Sullivan.
For decades, Joseph Alsop was the most powerful journalist in the country. He was beloved, feared and courted in equal measure by the Washington political world. But as the '60s approached and American culture entered a time of dizzying change, the intense political drama Joe was embroiled in became deeply personal as well. Tony® and Emmy® Award winner John Lithgow takes on the role of Joseph Alsop in The Columnist. David Auburn, whose Pulitzer- and Tony-winningProof dazzled audiences and critics alike, returns to MTC with this fascinating new play directed by his Proof collaborator, Tony winner Daniel Sullivan.
What would licensure mean for IBCLCs practicing in New York, and why does Empire State IBCLC Association supports it?
Why do IBCLCs in NY need to be licensed?
Currently, anyone can call herself a Lactation Consultant, even with minimal training or without board certification. The public now has no means of identifying a qualified lactation consultant and no protection from unqualified practitioners. A family has no means of recourse in the event of a bad outcome from an unqualified caregiver. Licensure would assure consumers, employers, and other health care providers that they are engaging qualified professionals.
Medicare and Medicaid require LICENSED healthcare professionals to be reimbursable providers. Many other insurers also reimburse only licensed practitioners. IBCLCs are healthcare professionals and need to be recognized as such in NY like all other health professions.
How many other states have licensure?
No other states have licensure for lactation consultants as of yet. There are licensure initiatives in other states, in addition to New York, at this time.
Will licensure stop non-IBCLCs from providing breastfeeding support?
The licensing of IBCLCs does not affect other health care professionals who provide lactation support under their own scope of practice as long as they don’t call themselves IBCLCs. This licensure does not affect students, interns, La Leche League Leaders, or WIC peer counselors. Licensure does not provide for the ‘policing’ of others. Licensure applies only to those who are independently practicing clinical lactation care and who hold the IBCLC credential.
Will all IBCLCs have to be licensed to work in hospitals, WIC and in private practice?
Yes. IBCLCs will need to be licensed to perform any work in NY within 12 months of the passage of a licensure bill.
Why do IBCLCs in NY need to be licensed?
Currently, anyone can call herself a Lactation Consultant, even with minimal training or without board certification. The public now has no means of identifying a qualified lactation consultant and no protection from unqualified practitioners. A family has no means of recourse in the event of a bad outcome from an unqualified caregiver. Licensure would assure consumers, employers, and other health care providers that they are engaging qualified professionals.
Medicare and Medicaid require LICENSED healthcare professionals to be reimbursable providers. Many other insurers also reimburse only licensed practitioners. IBCLCs are healthcare professionals and need to be recognized as such in NY like all other health professions.
How many other states have licensure?
No other states have licensure for lactation consultants as of yet. There are licensure initiatives in other states, in addition to New York, at this time.
Will licensure stop non-IBCLCs from providing breastfeeding support?
The licensing of IBCLCs does not affect other health care professionals who provide lactation support under their own scope of practice as long as they don’t call themselves IBCLCs. This licensure does not affect students, interns, La Leche League Leaders, or WIC peer counselors. Licensure does not provide for the ‘policing’ of others. Licensure applies only to those who are independently practicing clinical lactation care and who hold the IBCLC credential.
Will all IBCLCs have to be licensed to work in hospitals, WIC and in private practice?
Yes. IBCLCs will need to be licensed to perform any work in NY within 12 months of the passage of a licensure bill.