fb tracking

Infant Formula Marketing Campaign: Meeting with Hospitals

Take Action: Stop Infant Formula Marketing in Health Care Facilities

A Guide to Meeting with Your Local Hospital

To increase the pressure on your local hospital to discontinue formula marketing, schedule a meeting with hospital officials. Here are some steps you can take:

  1. Gather a group of concerned community members to join you in your meeting with hospital administrators. Try to include a diverse array of stakeholders: parents whose children were born in the area (including breastfeeding moms), healthcare advocates, healthcare providers, community leaders, city or town officials, and anyone else who is concerned about the issue.

  2. Set up a meeting with representatives of one of the following:

    • The Hospital President/CEO

    • Ethics Committee

    • Chief of Pediatrics

    • Chief of Obstetrics

    • Chief Nursing Officer

    • Risk Management Department

    • Corporate Compliance Department

  3. Call these offices and say you are concerned about the hospital’s policies regarding infant formula marketing. If you get turned away at first, don’t give up! Keep calling. If a member of your anti-formula marketing committee has internal connections in the hospitals, use those as much as possible.

  4. Once you have scheduled your meeting, prepare yourself and your committee.  

  5. When you meet with hospital officials: 

    • Have a clear demand: stop all formula marketing in hospitals immediately.

    • Make a few, well-stated arguments explaining the urgent need for this action.

    • Provide some examples of the effects of formula marketing on new mother’s ability to breastfeed.

    • Listen to their responses. Provide explanations and additional information to correct misconceptions, where appropriate.

    • Ask for follow up: What will the hospital’s next steps be? How will they let you know about their progress?

  6. Follow up shortly after the meeting, thanking the officials for meeting with you and reminding them to let you know about their progress. Follow up again within a couple of weeks.

Questions? Concerns? Contact us! Had a meeting? Let us know how it went!