WEST VIRGINIA CHAMPS HOSPITAL TEAMS

West Virginia hospital teams are leading the way in advancing breastfeeding education and support! West Virginia’s seven CHAMPS National hospitals – Cabell Huntington Hospital, Charleston Area Medical Center Women and Children’s Hospital, WVU Camden Clark Medical Center, WVU Medicine Children’s Hospital, WVU Medicine Princeton Community Hospital, WVU Medicine Thomas Memorial Hospital, and WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital – all recently participated in the CHAMPS National Train-the-Trainer (TTT) Pilot, a hands-on event designed to equip local hospital leaders to train their own staff using CHAMPS tools and resources.

The pilot event brought together about 25 participants, most of whom are International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC) or certified lactation counselors (CLC), hospital staff, and community partners eager to become CHAMPS National trainers for their hospital and community. The day featured interactive learning, small-group discussions, and skills-based checklists to build confidence and competency in breastfeeding support.

Participants described the TTT as “fabulous” and shared that they “could not think of a single thing to improve.” Many were especially excited about the new skills tools, noting that competency is often “the missing piece in traditional training.”

The TTT was one of two events co-hosted by CHAMPS National and the West Virginia Breastfeeding Institute as part of the pre-conference for the WV Perinatal Summit. Earlier that day, the WV CHAMPS Connect Networking Event brought together nearly 30 hospital team members and community partners. Each hospital brought their favorite resources and ideas to share, ranging from “Don’t stress, hand express!” grab-and-go bags for nurses to creative posters and educational materials. Each hospital team also received a special award to recognize their achievements.

The West Virginia CHAMPS hospitals exemplify collaboration, innovation, and dedication to improving maternal and infant health across the state. CHEER is proud to celebrate these passionate teams for their leadership and commitment to creating lasting, evidence-based change in hospital practices.