Graduate Student Internship Program

2008 Catalog of Internship Opportunities

This internship has been filled.

Breastfeeding Works Specialist

Program: Health Services – Breastfeeding Works
Missoula City-County Health Department, Missoula, MT
Skill Area: Data Analysis and Monitoring

Agency Information

Our statewide initiative to increase initiation, duration and exclusivity of breastfeeding is gathering momentum. In 1999, Montana passed a law protecting the right of mothers to nurse in any location she and her baby are allowed to be. And this year, the second piece of legislation was passed, requiring all public employers (state, county, city, schools and the university system) to support breastfeeding by employees through 1) written policy 2) assurance of a private appropriate location to pump or nurse and 3) flexibility of break times for mothers to pump or nurse. This along with a concerted effort to train certified lactation counselors (CLC) and increase the numbers of Internationally Licensed Breastfeeding Certified Lactation Counselors (IBCLC) as members of public health MCH and WIC staff, has laid the groundwork for an effective breastfeeding promotion intervention in local communities across the state. We plan a public education campaign, coupled with issuance of "license to breastfeed" cards for all new mothers in our state during this next year. The license will include a brief description of the two MT laws supporting breastfeeding, plus the phone number of the Human Rights Commission where women with complaints may receive assistance. We are interested in determining what impact these policy changes have, if any, on enhancing our county breastfeeding rates.

Purpose, goals, and objectives of internship

Using existing data from PRAMS, CDC and the Ross Laboratories Mothers Survey, we want to compare breastfeeding initiation, duration and exclusivity rates prior to and following our various intervention strategies. In addition, we plan to pilot a simple and efficient method of tracking the initiation, duration and exclusivity breastfeeding rates of mothers who participate in WIC and MCH programs in Missoula County. When mothers report the addition of formula, food or other beverages to the infant's diet, we will interview to determine what barriers to exclusive breastfeeding influenced the mother's decision to quit exclusively nursing. We are documenting the number of Missoula county worksites having written policies re breastfeeding, and assisting employers who express interest in becoming Breast Feeding Friendly worksites. We will work with area physicians, midwives, Nurse Practitioner's, Montana State Women Infant child Nutrition Program, and the Montana State University College of Nursing as partners in the promotion and support of breastfeeding. We are developing a Breastfeeding Task Force, with a broad membership and the goal of institutionalizing the process of community breastfeeding support in Missoula County.

Data or analytic tasks and activities

Comparison and analysis of the data collected as outlined above. The Breastfeeding Works Specialist will assist in promotion of breastfeeding friendly worksite policies, and preparing and presenting results of the data collected through the WIC and MCH programs. The Breast Feeding Works Specialist will do a multivariate analysis of the following: Mothers who successfully breastfeed exclusively for 6 months:

• Are they on WIC?
• Do they have a home visiting PHN?
• Have they attended prenatal classes on breastfeeding?
• Have they utilized the breast feeding peer counselors?
• Have they used the breastfeeding hotline?
• Did they return to a Breastfeeding friendly workplace?

The control group will be those mothers who are not on WIC, do not have PHN services, but delivered in Missoula County and initiated breastfeeding. We want to determine what interventions are significant for exclusive 6 month breastfeeding for mothers

Data or analytic skills required

Excel required: Access, SPSS, & End Note Software (preferred but not required).

Supervisors

Primary Supervisor: Julie A. Serstad, RN, BSN, MSN, Director, Health Services, Missoula City-County Health Department.

Secondary Supervisor: Mary Pittaway, RD, Supervisor, Nutrition Services, Missoula City-County Health Department

Internship begins

June 2008

Housing

Apartments and possible dorm living are available, but we don't have funding to support housing.

Transportation

We have public transportation and we are a bike friendly city.

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