This week’s CHEER Champion of the Week is Panayioula (“Yioula”) Mexi Bourna, IBCLC, MD, President of the Galaxias Association of International Certified Breastfeeding Consultants; member of the Breastfeeding Commission in the Greek Ministry of Health; Pediatrician; Neonatologist; and the Direc

Congratulations to CHAMPS Hospital Merit Health Wesley in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, for becoming Baby-Friendly designated on December 4, 2018! Merit Health Wesley, with approximately 1,100 births per year and a level III NICU, is the third Merit Health hospital in Mississippi to become Baby-Friendly

This week’s CHEER Champion of the Week is Shavonda Quinn, MSc, Peer Counselor 2 for the Mississippi Department of Health’s WIC program. Shavonda serves 3 counties, Clay, Chickasaw, and Webster. She was nominated for her wonderful participation at a recent CHAMPS site visit at North Mississippi

This week’s CHEER Champions of the Week are Camie Goldhammer, LICSW, MSW, IBCLC, Kimberly (“Kim”) Moore-Salas, IBCLC, and Andrea Serano, CLC, IBCLC. These ladies, who have all worked for the CHEER team, were recently elected as Board Directors to the  Read More

Congratulations to SEARHC Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital in Sitka, Alaska, the first Native hospital in Alaska to become Baby-Friendly designated! SEARHC Mt. Edgecumbe was part of our American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) CHAMPS program from 2015-2018. The hospital is part of the Southeast Alaska Regional H

CHEER is thrilled to announce the recipient of our 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award: Kimarie Bugg, DNP, RN, MPH, IBCLC, CLC, for her long-standing dedication to breastfeeding and maternal child health equity! Kimarie is the Co-Founder, President/CEO, and Change Leader for Read More

This week's CHEER Champions of the Week are Yuri Kitayama, Noriko Hiwatashi, and Sanae Iwakami, 3 Japanese professional interpreters who provided simultaneous translation at the recent International Society

This week’s CHEER Champion of the Week is Talita Ruble, a mother who persevered in breastfeeding her adopted son, Ronin! Talita’s story is truly remarkable and a testament to a mother’s determination and the support of her community, including CHAMPS hospital King’s Daughters Medical Center

This week’s CHEER Champion of the Week is Lou Ann Wall, RN, IBCLC, Lactation Nurse at CHAMPS hospital King’s Daughters Medical Center (KDMC) in Brookhaven, Mississippi. Lou Ann was nominated for the incredible breastfeeding support she does at KDMC and the Circle of Moms Baby Café Cluster. �

Congratulations to St. Tammany Parish Hospital (STPH) in Covington, Louisiana, for becoming Baby-Friendly designated on October 25, 2018! STPH was part of the first wave of the CHAMPS South program, from 2015 to 2017. They performed 1,875 births in 2017 and have a level III NICU. “It is a great