I apologize for the mess of a last post ( new computer).
Let's hope this one is better!Even though I usually lurk,
Betsy has inspired me to post. In the last week or so I
have spoken with 4 other LCs with 15 plus years experience
and ALL of us are upset and disillusioned with the actions
of the IBLCE board. These LCs never post either. I have a
feeling there are hundreds of LCs who do not appreciate the
fact that when they are practicing responsibly as they have
been, they are now outside of the scope of practice and
legally at risk.I have to wonder who is this Board and when
did we give them the power to define and regulate our
profession? Three issues have come up that make me wonder
if we might need another organization that more
accurately represents the working lactation consultant.
These three issues demonstrate how out of touch the Board
is. Can we somehow reclaim ownership and representation of
our field? Would we really loose so much if we abandoned
the designation "IBCLC" in favor of another
title? I don't think the title "IBCLC" is worth
so much in my are (north of NY City).Here are the three
issues:The new Scope of Practice- enough said!!!The Lower
Credential- what's the motivation for this and who profit?
The IBCLC credential seems mighty tenuous to me- how about
we work on that?Last but not least- the exam. We started an
initiative concerning recertification at the ILCA conference
last summer. The petitions were sent and NO RESPONSE. I
guess they were busy with other urgent matters ( see SOP
above). The cover letter read:"Attached are 18 pages
of petitions signed by 261 lactation consultants at the 2006
ILCA conference. The petition states: We the under
signed petition the IBLCE to permit IBCLCs who have passed
the entry level exam 2 times to recertify every five years
thereafter by CERPs or exam, as they choose. We (Beth
Shulman, Chonyi Glassman, and Beverly Solow, the originators
of the petition) were surprised by how much support there is
for a change of the IBLCE policy on recertification. The
signatures were extremely easy to collect. The response was
overwhelmingly positive, with very few people declining to
sign. Many people on this signature list volunteered that
they did not intend to take the exam a third time. They
also stated that after so many years of practice, not having
IBCLC after their name will not affect their reputation in
the community or their earning power. This would mean that
many of our most experienced lactation consultants will no
longer call themselves IBCLC, nor will they pay the
recertification fee. PPLC and LACTNET participants
expressed an interest in continuing a discussion of this
issue on-line after the conclusion of the ILCA conference.We
know that this is a complex issue. There is certainly a
need to require credentialed lactation consultants to remain
current. There are IBLBCs who abuse the current
recertification process (by CERP or exam), who do not keep
their knowledge up-to-date. The IBLCE tried to address
these issues several years ago, with inconclusive results.
The recommendation to eliminate the exam requirement (for
consultants who have passed the exam twice) may not be the
best way to address these complexities. At the very least,
the positive response to the petition argues that the
IBLCE should open up this question for renewed
discussion.Beverly Solow, who wrote to IBLCE expressing her
own personal concerns about this subject back in February,
never received a response. This issue is too serious to
ignore when so many lactation consultants are concerned
about a meaningful recertification process. We look forward
to your response."The letter was signed by Beverly
Solow, Beth Shulman, and Chonyi Glassman. There has been no
response as of 11/2/06.I for one would love more
transparency concerning the make-up, responibilities and the
decision-making process of the board.Respectfully- Chonyi
Glassman
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