DR. MELYNDA NOBLE!

Congratulations to Dr. Melynda Noble, M.D. FAAP, our CHEER Champion of the Week. Dr. Noble is the Pediatric hospitalist and Chief of Pediatrics at Greenwood Leflore Hospital (GLH). She was nominated for her incredible efforts to promote the Baby-Friendly initiative at that hospital. Few hospitals in Mississippi have physicians leading their Baby-Friendly work, so Dr. Noble stands out in her commitment to evidence-based maternity practices and breastfeeding support.

In her role as a pediatric hospitalist, Dr. Noble takes care of newborns and pediatric patients, especially the sick babies. During the ongoing pandemic, she has addressed issues and concerns over maternal COVID-19 infections and the risk to newborns. Thankfully, COVID has not had a huge impact on their pediatric patient population, and only a few children required hospitalization.

“Every day is different. I enjoy that we work as a team at GLH, be it on the Baby-Friendly Initiative or a critically ill newborn. Team work is what makes it all possible.” – Dr. Melynda Noble

Dr. Noble has worked in the Mississippi Delta for 12 years. She is very passionate about her work and loves the constantly changing environment that has enabled her to practice everything she learned during her residency. As a BFHI champion at GLH, Dr. Noble is excited that the hospital has turned the corner from caring for newborns to teaching mothers to care for their newborns! “I have to say I am most proud of the way our nursing staff has undertaken all these changes,” she reflects. “I have no doubt that mothers now leave this hospital well educated on the care of their newborn.”

When asked for vignettes she would like to share, Dr. Noble emphasized the importance of team work, delegation, and leadership in achieving Baby-Friendly. “When I was exploring the initiative, I liked what I saw, so I asked the Child Life Coordinator, Kerri Grossman, to help. Though she was filling many other roles in the hospital, she agreed and led the way. She has since become a prenatal education expert and gotten more involved with anything breastfeeding-related in our community. Kerri motivates me to keep moving forward with this Baby-Friendly work.”

Dr. Noble partners with the Delta Health Alliance on the Delta Breastfeeding Coalition. She shares that the coalition was the inspiration behind GLH’s lactation room for employees and visitors, and she hopes the hospital will have a Baby Café one day when it is safe to do so.
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Congratulations Dr. Noble, thank you for your leadership and commitment to evidence-based maternity practices and breastfeeding support!