CHEER 2021 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: LORI FELDMAN-WINTER, MD, MPH, FAAP, FABM!
CHEER is honored to present the 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award to Lori-Feldman-Winter, MD, MPH, FAAP, FABM. Lori is a pediatrician, specialist in adolescent medicine, and the division head of adolescent medicine at the Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper. She is a pioneer in the field of breastfeeding medicine and we honor her lifelong efforts to improve breastfeeding education in the medical field.
“I think I practice in a way that was always inspired by my grandfather who was a pediatrician. In the 1960s, he was equipped with the newly developed polio vaccine and was so excited to inoculate me and all my friends… As a pediatrician, he felt like the opportunity to vaccinate could really do so much good for the whole population”- LFW
Lori is also a professor of pediatrics at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University and has served as CHEER’s breastfeeding medical consultant for many years. She entered the field of pediatrics 33 years ago after completing a residency at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and chose general pediatrics because it was an avenue where she could make change.
“I became interested in breastfeeding after I had my two daughters. I had heard about it and all the evidence around it, so I knew I wanted to breastfeed. However, I did not realize how many of my colleagues did not breastfeed and how tough it would be when I returned to work,” Lori shared. “I realized that only few physicians prioritized breastfeeding in their work because we just learned that breast was best, but were then taught about formula. I decided to learn more about the science of breastfeeding and do something about the absence of breastfeeding education in medical schools and residency programs.”
Since she got involved in breastfeeding all those years ago, Lori has worked on many projects to drive knowledge and support for breastfeeding among physicians, and to reduce the disparities and barriers that contribute to the culture of formula feeding in minoritized communities. She has trained many hospitals on interdisciplinary ways to support breastfeeding, and developed multiple resources, curricula, and webinars -including the renowned national resource “Lactation Education for Clinicians”- which many people in the field constantly use and reference.
Lori is a well-established researcher with over 100 publications and a mentor to many people in the breastfeeding field. She has led several studies to help understand how to better support exclusive breastfeeding successfully. She is also the chair of the Section on Breastfeeding for the American Academy of Pediatrics, and a Board Member of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine where she continues to help expand the medical knowledge base around breastfeeding.
Lori’s work with CHEER stems from her passion for translating evidence into practice through a lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion. This is apparent in her efforts to help reduce breastfeeding disparities in hospitals and communities across the country, through our CHAMPS program and other partnerships with the National Institute for Children’s Health Quality, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and United States Breastfeeding Committee. “I am happy to be in a position to help produce things that are making a difference in breastfeeding,” Lori shared. “I am incredibly proud to know that I was able to collaborate with organizations, change the landscape of breastfeeding support, help to elevate community voices, and decrease racial disparities. I hope that people will remember me for making a difference in the breastfeeding field.”
As she plans towards her retirement, Lori shares her vision for the breastfeeding field: “It’s exciting to see how the field is growing, to see how many new researchers and young professionals are interested and have devoted their careers to breastfeeding medicine. In the near future, during my partial retirement, I will continue to do this work. I hope that we, in this field, continue to think like scientists and always approach questions from a place of curiosity, and that we are not afraid to ask the hard questions. I hope that more people can get involved and do the needed research to grow our understanding of human milk, breastfeeding, human lactation, and ways we can support our global goal of exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months, with continued breastfeeding well beyond…”
Lori is a proud mother and wife, and soon-to-be grandmother. She enjoys painting, decorating, and exploring art with her husband. She also loves skiing and hiking during family vacations in the Berkshires.
Save the date for the virtual award celebration on Thursday, September 29th, 2022 (1 pm EST)!
