Laredo Medical Center Earns Texas Mother-Friendly Worksite Designation

3/10/2023

Laredo Medical Center has joined a growing number of Texas businesses by becoming designated as a Texas Mother-Friendly Worksite. Mother-Friendly employers proactively support employees who choose to breastfeed their infants by providing time, space, and other supports to maintain breastfeeding after returning to work. Employers that provide Mother-Friendly Worksites benefit from increased employee retention, lower absenteeism, higher morale, greater productivity, reduced health care costs, and improved short- and long-term health of the breastfeeding mother and her child.

Created by the Texas Legislature in 1995 and administered by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), the Texas Mother-Friendly Worksite Program recognizes employers with written policies reflecting their support for their breastfeeding employees. Such policies provide work schedule flexibility to allow milk expression breaks; offer a private space, other than a bathroom, where the employee can pump or breastfeed; and ensure easy access to a clean water source and hygienic milk storage arrangements.

To be designated as a Texas Mother-Friendly Worksite, an employer must submit an application and a qualifying written employee breastfeeding support policy to DSHS. Texas Mother-Friendly Worksites represent a wide range of employment sectors, settings, and worksite sizes. Also designated are numerous hospitals, state agencies, and health and human services employers.

“We want our employees who are new mothers to know that we support their decision to continue breastfeeding,” said Jorge Leal, FACHE, chief executive officer of Laredo Medical Center. “We are extremely pleased to be designated as a Texas Mother-Friendly Worksite.”

For more information on the Texas Mother-Friendly Worksite Program, including a listing of the state’s designated worksites, visit http://texasmotherfriendly.org.

Laredo Medical Center leadership and staff proudly display the designation the hospital has received as a Texas Mother-Friendly Worksite. They are, from left to right, front row, CEO Jorge Leal, Human Resources Director Patricia Cardenas; back row, Assistant Director of Women’s Services Claudia Chavez, NICU/Pediatrics Clinical Coordinator Angie Perez, NICU/Pediatrics Director Patty Diaz, Director of Women’s Services/Maternity Center Laura Uribe, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant Magda (Maggie) R. Mendieta and Certified Lactation Counselor Ana M. Lecea.

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