Answering the Call: Ways to Get Involved in the Work of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine

For the past year, the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) has been a bit “under construction.” We are in the process of growing from a small passionate grass-roots organization into a larger, more global, and highly respected organization with broad reach and greater than 1,000 members! Part of this growth process involves self-analysis, reflection, and implementation of best practices for associations of our size. We strive to be even more effective, organized, and nimble.

Our President-Elect, Dr. Elien Rouw, has been leading the governance committee's work to examine our board and committee structures and suggest changes that will best serve our missions and membership. Part of this effort has included formally moving the finance committee and the governance committee to the fiduciary level made up of elected board members. In a survey of committee chairs, we learned that many of the committees had a roster of members, some of whom had not attended a committee meeting in over a year, and some of whom had been doing the vast majority of the work for years! We have not had a clear pipeline for new members and early career members to get involved. It was more “who you know” than “what are my skills?” and “what are my interests?”

We want to hear from any and all of those who are interested in getting involved! We value inclusivity and collaboration, and will need all of the passion and energy we can get to achieve our lofty goals of outreach and awareness and promoting, distilling, and disseminating evidence-based knowledge and research. Tell us what you are interested in, and what knowledge and skills you bring to help identify the best ways for you to get involved. Are you an educator? Are you a researcher? Are you in an as yet under-represented field of medicine? Do you love writing blogs or posting on social media?

Would you like to be a mentor or are you looking for a mentor? Do you know others who might benefit from joining ABM? Are you interested in raising the awareness of trainees about breastfeeding medicine? Do you like planning educational activities such as webinars or journal clubs? Do you like and/or have skill in writing questions? Do you have certain topics that you love giving talks about? Or subjects for which you consider yourself an expert?

If you are interested in getting involved, please visit the website: https://abm.memberclicks.net/get-involved for more information and to complete a short interest form so we can gather a statement of who you are, what you are interested in, and what knowledge and skills you would bring to ABM. We plan to then take this information and create a master list for both current and future opportunities. As a non-profit, volunteer organization, we are committed to identifying and leveraging the expertise of our members and building a strong pipeline of leaders in the field of breastfeeding medicine. Our mission is to educate and empower health professionals to support and manage breastfeeding, lactation, and human milk feeding—which as we all know is a team sport!

Thank you, and I look forward to meeting you and working with you as we strive to accomplish our shared vision of “Healthier lives worldwide through excellence in the medical care of breastfeeding and lactation.”

—Ann Kellams, MD, FABM

President, Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine