Looking Back: An Occasion for Celebration

Since this will be my last contribution to the President's Corner, I thought that I might wax nostalgic for a few minutes. I recall the first meeting of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine that I attended in Rochester, NY, a number of years ago, when I became a member. I returned home from that meeting with such a feeling of exhilaration and energy. Finally, there was a physician organization dedicated exclusively to the advancement and promotion of a new discipline: Breastfeeding medicine. I had found my comrades in arms. I no longer felt isolated, no longer a voice crying in the wilderness. Today, that sense of excitement and shared mission has diminished not one bit. On the contrary, with every new acquaintance I make and with every conversation that I have with a colleague, my enthusiasm for our work only grows stronger. I am certain that every member of the Academy feels much the same way. In the final analysis, it is this boundless enthusiasm that constitutes the core strength of the organization. So rather than dwell on our problems and the obstacles that beset us, I would like to take note of the many accomplishments we have made since I penned my first column, 2 years ago.

By means of our journal, social networking, updated website, podcast program, conferences, and press releases, we have made our presence known in the field of breastfeeding advocacy and in the world of medicine. Our membership is again growing. We have put in place a network by means of which members around the world can effectively interact with the Academy. We continue to enlist new Fellows, and we have instituted a process for maintenance of certification to assure the ongoing achievement of the highest standards of the medical profession. The rules for Fellowship application have been liberalized in order to facilitate the recruitment of prospective candidates who cannot readily attend ABM meetings, particularly those individuals who live outside of the United States. By this and other means, we are finally realizing a goal that, from the beginning, has always been a top priority for the Academy: Globalization. Worldwide regional conferences, a mere fantasy only a few short years ago, are now becoming an integral part of the Academy culture. Our move toward globalization is also clearly demonstrated by the fact that our next two presidents reside outside of the United States.

Our Protocols continue to attract great interest and acclaim from many quarters, as evidenced by their citation by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's National Guideline Clearinghouse. The two ABM Summits have succeeded in bringing together on a national forum policy makers, academicians, and clinicians to develop strategies for promoting and protecting the practice of breastfeeding. The implication for such a collaborative effort goes well beyond the borders of the United States.

The Academy's journal, Breastfeeding Medicine, has become so successful that within a very short period of time it has gone from being published quarterly to six times a year.

Although the certification project remains challenging, the certification committee continues to work tirelessly to ensure a successful outcome. It is the hope and expectation of the Board of Directors that the effort will ultimately bear fruit with the formal creation of a new branch of medicine, a branch that will be recognized not only within the United States, but worldwide.

Financially, the Academy is stronger than it has ever been in its entire history, no small feat, in light of the continuing worldwide financial crisis the likes of which have not been witnessed since the Great Depression of the 1930s. And we have been able to secure our financial position without having to rely to any significant degree on the contributions of commercial interests. It is important to note in this vein that just last year, the Academy signed the Council of Medical Specialty Societies' “Code for Interactions with Companies.” The ABM Ethics Committee has created an excellent document, approved by the Board of Directors, that serves as the implementation plan that Council of Medical Specialty Societies requires of all of the signatories to its Code. The Ethics Committee statement is truly a document in which all members of the Academy can take great pride.

For our financial strength and security, we are extremely grateful to our management group, without which our circumstances would have been much different. The Mary Ann Liebert Publishers, Inc. has been instrumental in transforming the Academy into a real player in the arena of medicine, advocacy, and policy-making. Thanks largely to the dedication and expertise of ABM's Executive Director, Karla Rubinger, and her staff, there are indeed very, very few breastfeeding experts who are not familiar with the name of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine.

It has been a pleasure and an honor to serve as the President of this illustrious society for the last 2 years. I would like to thank all of you for your kindness and support, and I wish you, and the Academy, the greatest success in the years ahead.