Hello from Eileen FitzPatrick, BFUSA’s New CEO
Dear Colleagues,
Happy New Year! I have spent my first month transitioning into the CEO position at BFUSA. I thought this was a good time to reach out to say hello to all of you.
I joined BFUSA as a logical progression in my career. I am so proud to lead an organization that plays such a critical role in upholding the highest standards of infant feeding care in the US. This has never been more important than it is today, with all the challenges healthcare, hospitals and patients are facing. It is my great honor to join BFUSA and lead it through this difficult time and into the future.
I want to express my gratitude to Trish MacEnroe, BFUSA’s outgoing CEO, who has been instrumental in ensuring a smooth transition in leadership. Her knowledge, expertise, and decade-long commitment to Baby-Friendly has been evident every day we have spent together. Among the many successes in Trish’s laudable legacy has been the amazing adjustments BFUSA has made over the past year to move assessments to a virtual environment. Facilities currently in the designation or re-designation pathway are familiar with this process; others will learn about it in the days and months to come.
We are also looking forward to rolling out our revised Guidelines and Evaluation Criteria (GEC) later this year. We are excited about the increased flexibility the new GEC will offer. For now, however, we know your priority is and must be on supporting your patients and staff through the pandemic, and we are committed to helping you as best we can. We will determine the appropriate time to release the guidelines once the pandemic has waned and hospitals have greater capacity to focus on this new initiative.
In the meantime, I wish you all good health and much success in responding to the current challenges. If you have any questions or suggestions for me, please do not hesitate to contact me at efitzpatrick@babyfriendlyusa.org.
Sincerely Yours,
Eileen FitzPatrick, DrPH, MPH, RDN
Chief Executive Officer, BFUSA
