Dr. Natashia Conner Health Education & Promotion-CHES & IBCLC

What are common job duties of a Certified Health Education Specialist? Certified Health Education Specialists are responsible for many areas of community and individual well-being, including: Assessing the overall health needs of a specific population. Developing policies, programs, and events to educate individuals or communities on health conditions. Defining and planning the desired outcomes and engaging priority populations. Producing plans and materials for implementation and evaluation of health programs. Coordinating and delivering health education and promotion interventions. Monitoring progress, resources, and overall sustainability of implementation Aligning an evaluation plan with the intervention goals and objectives. Designing research studies, as well as measuring and interpreting the findings. Identifying current and emerging health issues and examining their underlying causes. Engaging coalitions of stakeholders to address health issues and promote advocacy. Determining the factors that affect communication with the specified audience. Developing and evaluating messaging using communication theories and models. Developing health communication plans and delivery methods for varied stakeholders. Coordinating with partners and preparing others to provide health education. Managing human, fiduciary, and material resources to achieve health objectives. Applying professional codes of ethics and demonstrating ethical leadership. Engaging in professional development to maintain and enhance proficiency.

What is an IBCLC? International Board Certified Lactation Consultants function and contribute as members of the maternal-child health team. They provide care in a variety of settings, while making appropriate referrals to other health professionals and community support resources. Working together with mothers, families, policymakers and society, IBCLC certificants provide expert breastfeeding and lactation care, promote changes that support breastfeeding and help reduce the risks of not breastfeeding. IBCLCs are certified healthcare professionals trained in the clinical management of breastfeeding—AKA breastfeeding experts. Plus, they are internationally recognized. IBCLCs are certified by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE), independently accredited by the National Commision for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE). IBCLCs must adhere to professional standards—to ensure that they provide quality breastfeeding help with mothers and their babies—and recertify every five years.

MCH professional development service supports innovative, community-based initiatives to improve the health status of infants, children, adolescents, and families in urban and other underserved communities by increasing their access to preventive care and services. Developing, enhancing, or improving evidence-based patient-centered, family-involved, culturally competent, community-based care plans and practices for adolescents and young adults. Support diverse and underrepresented trainees and faculty, and increase the cultural competence and skills of trainees and faculty to address health disparities in underserved communities.