Scholarships will cover up to $1,000 of funds each for fourteen aspiring International Board Certified Lactation Consultants
WASHINGTON, D.C. – September 17, 2020 – Pacify Health, the country’s leading lactation and pediatric telehealth app for moms, announced today the expansion of its annual Diversity in Lactation scholarship program. The expanded scholarship will provide $14,000 in financial assistance to aspiring International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) from racial and ethnic groups that are traditionally underrepresented in the professional lactation field. Originally two scholarships per year, Pacify and its parent company Advantia Health will now award fourteen scholarships annually of up to $1,000 each to cover costs associated with becoming an IBCLC, including IBCLC exam fees and preparatory course work.
“Pacify has an important role to play in addressing inequities in the field of lactation,” said Melanie Silverman, MS, RD, IBCLC, Chief Clinical Officer of Pacify. “The lactation profession needs to do a better job of preparing and training more IBCLCs from racial and ethnic minority groups that are not well represented in the profession today.”
“Health equity is one of our core values, alongside clinical excellence. To achieve both these goals, we need a diverse roster of lactation consultants that moms can reach day or night via the Pacify app,” said George Brandes, Pacify’s Co-founder and CEO. “We also believe it’s critically important to increase the number of IBCLCs of color on the ground in the communities we serve. That’s why each one of these scholarships will go to a person in the states or cities where Pacify serves moms through a public health program.”
Applications for the Diversity in Lactation scholarship program are being accepted now and must be received by December 31, 2020. Candidates residing in the following cities and states are eligible: the City of Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Tennessee, Arizona, New Mexico, Mississippi, Maryland, Missouri, West Virginia, Texas, Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois, and California. Candidates who show substantial progress toward completing their IBCLC certification will receive special consideration, as this award can assist in surmounting the remaining financial barriers toward achieving their goals. Learn more about how to apply here.
Advantia Health’s mission is to transform healthcare for all women, and diversity and inclusion is critical to achieving that mission. Pacify established the Diversity in Lactation scholarship program in partnership with the DC Breastfeeding Coalition, with the goal of providing financial assistance to aspiring IBCLCs from racial and ethnic backgrounds that are traditionally underrepresented in the professional lactation field. Research has shown that patients working with doctors of the same race have better health outcomes. Therefore, building a more diverse community of lactation consultants is essential to reducing racial disparities in breastfeeding rates.
“Advantia Health is so proud of the work the Pacify team is doing to make health equity a reality,” said Sean Glass, Founder and CEO of Advantia Health. “This is what leadership in the healthcare space looks like. We hope to see our peer companies and other organizations take similar actions to bring more diversity into important healthcare roles.”
Advantia Health is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and educates its staff and patients about important health equity issues and strategies to counter them. Advantia Health’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force, comprised of diverse voices from throughout the company, works to advance policies and programs that further diversity, equity, and inclusion among our employees, our health providers, our patients, and our communities.
About Pacify
Pacify was founded on the idea that more can be done to use mobile technology to help families access excellent prenatal and pediatric care. Pacify’s industry-leading mobile platform provides instantaneous, 24/7 support to new mothers. Mothers who download the app can connect via video-visit with clinicians including nurses and lactation consultants. There are no appointments or scheduling, and calls are answered in an average of less than 30 seconds. Pacify serves a diverse range of mothers via contracts with leading hospitals, employers, Medicaid managed care companies, state Departments of Health, the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, and breast pump manufacturers. In 2019, Pacify was acquired by Advantia Health as part of its commitment to continued investment in technologies that improve the lives and health of women and their families.
About Advantia Health
Advantia is transforming healthcare for all women – we’re setting a higher standard of care and convenience while reducing unnecessary costs. Compassion and value inspire everything we do. We take time to listen, answer questions completely, and offer helpful technology between visits so that our patients are empowered and at ease. Alongside coordinated care, Advantia is pioneering care models that align incentives with the best interests of women and their families.
Learn more at AdvantiaHealth.com and Pacify.com.
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Contact: Pamela Larkin, 408.466.5952, [email protected]