Professional:
Lisa is highly skilled women’s healthcare professional with over 30 years of experience in caring for women. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing and a Master’s Degree in Midwifery. Lisa is an RN since 1987, a CNM since 2008, and an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant since 2011. She co-founded the Breastfeeding Initiative at Staten Island University Hospital and worked in collaboration with the NYC Department of Health for eight years on efforts toward achieving the “Baby Friendly” designation.
Lisa has been assisting new families to breastfeed since 1990, first at the bedside, and in the past 10 years in the outpatient office setting. Lisa’s unique qualifications as both a nurse practitioner and lactation consultant, give her the ability to diagnose and prescribe treatment protocols for breastfeeding management as an independent provider, without need for physician consultation. As a member of The International Consortium of Oral Ankylofrenula Professionals (ICAP), she is experienced with assessment, diagnosing and treatment protocols for infants with tethered oral tissues (tongue and lip ties) and has a network of professionals for collaboration and referral.
Lisa has been providing well woman gynecologic care to women since 2009 and practiced full-scope midwifery from 2010-2015. She has experience in annual visits, vaginitis and other uncomplicated female concerns, contraceptive management, nutritional counseling, and primary care.
Lisa is graduate of Dr. Aviva Romm’s New Medicine for Women Institute Functional & Integrative Medicine Professional Training Program.
Affiliations:
- ICAP- The International Consortium of Oral Ankylofrenula Professionals
- ILCA- International Lactation Consultant Association
- USLCA- Unites States Lactation Consultant Association
- USBC- United States Breastfeeding Committee
- NYC BHC- New York City Breastfeeding Hospital Collaborative
- NYLCA- New York Lactation Consultant Association
Personal:
Lisa has been married for 30 wonderful years to her husband and soul mate, Russ, and has three beautiful children that continuously amaze her with their talents and individuality. Lisa’s motivation to change the culture of infant feeding on Staten Island comes from her own experience of lack of support for breastfeeding when she had her children. She remembers feeling like something wasn’t right when her newborn infants were taken from the room soon after birth, and being devastated when told that she didn’t have enough milk to nourish her first two babies by a pediatrician who didn’t understand the biological imperative of breastfeeding. When pregnant the third time, Lisa decided on a home birth, for many reasons, but especially to be able to have non-separation and feed her infant on demand. This “high risk” baby who surprised everyone at birth with a cleft lip, went on to nurse successfully and self-weaned at fourteen months.
No biography of Lisa would be complete without mention of her sister, Chris, who passed in 1998, at age 31, leaving four young children as her gifts to this earth. Lisa’s life was forever changed by the illness and death of Chris, and continues to be enriched by her four Godchildren who she cherishes more than words can say.
Lisa has a lifetime love of learning and her latest diploma is from Aviva Romm’s Herbal Medicine for Women course. As a Women’s Health Herbal Educator, Lisa shares her expertise of the healing qualities of plants as an alternative to pharmaceutical medication.
Lisa completed Joy Moeller’s Oral Myofunctional Therapy Course in NY in 2016.
In her spare time, Lisa loves to spend time with her family, her two Shih Tzus, read, garden, watch baseball, take walks in nature and hang out with good friends over a glass of wine and home made chocolate.