BROOKINGS – Brookings Supports Breastfeeding received the 2018 Outstanding Public Health Team Award the South Dakota Public Health Association’s conference on June 19.
The award recognizes an organization, group or team for outstanding contribution to public health practice, education or research.
Brookings Supports Breastfeeding received the honor based on its efforts to increase breastfeeding support in Brookings.
Team members who accepted the award included Mary Schwaegerl, RN, obstetrics director at Brookings Health System; Dr. Jennifer Anderson, associate professor at SDSU; and Dr. Rebecca Kuehl, associate professor at SDSU.
Brookings Supports Breastfeeding is a community-based health team that includes members representing Brookings Health System, the Brookings Area Chamber of Commerce, South Dakota State University, and lactation consultants from the Brookings community.
The group originally formed through a grant from the Bush Foundation, the charitable arm of 3M.
Since May 2015, when the grant period ended, the group has met on a volunteer basis to continue supporting breastfeeding in Brookings and beyond.
The group now routinely partners with SDSU Extension and the South Dakota Department of Health.
