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Christie Schaeffer, MD, Plastic Surgery Chief Resident, came to UVA for her residency after graduating from the University of Cincinnati in her home state of Ohio. It’s been a whirlwind ever since.

During her six years in Charlottesville, life inside the hospital has been busy. Life outside of the hospital might even be busier. Dr. Schaeffer had a daughter in 2018 and a son in 2020, and she is constantly trying to balance being a new mom and a new doctor.

Unsurprisingly, the demands of family life and work life make for long and stressful days. “Being a plastic surgery resident, a wife, and a mother to two amazing kids pretty much fills my life to the brim,” she says.

For Dr. Schaeffer — like many new mothers — it was difficult to find the time and the space to pump breastmilk while on the job.

“Breastfeeding alone can be a struggle for many women,” says Dr. Schaeffer, “and adding in the commitments that come with residency training made it at times feel impossible. I spent many, many hours pumping in the UVA lactation rooms as well as other locations.”

During the 26 months that Dr. Schaeffer pumped at work, she preferred to use the lactation room with a computer in it, and it was invaluable to her ability to keep up with all the demands.

“When I had access to this computer while pumping, I was able to complete time-sensitive tasks, which allowed me to pump for longer with less stress,” she says. “I was also able to complete work-related tasks that I otherwise would have to do when I got home that night when I really wanted to spend quality time with my children.”

With only one lactation room in UVA Health facilities with a computer, and Dr. Schaffer’s firsthand experience, she got an idea: Could computers be put in more lactation rooms to help new moms achieve their work and pumping goals simultaneously?

“Many lactating trainees do not meet their lactation goals,” she says, “and I felt strongly that adding computers to lactation rooms would ultimately increase the time they can pump, help maintain their milk supply, decrease their risk of clogged ducts or mastitis, and improve their overall wellness.”

Dr. Schaffer began advocating for more computers to be installed in lactation rooms. She tried several routes to get her idea implemented, but it was not until she submitted her idea to the Spark program that it took off.

“The submission process was very easy,” says. Dr. Schaeffer. “They simply asked what problem I would like to fix and what my idea was for fixing that problem. I have been working with Hannah Fitzhugh on implementation of the project. She has been wonderful — she is genuinely excited about the project, interested in my ideas and feedback, and is incredibly tolerant of my unpredictable schedule. She emailed to discuss my idea on Jan. 12, and by the end of the month, desks and computers were in the 2M lactation rooms.”

The 2M lactation rooms are on the second floor of the South Tower adjacent to the Main Operating Room and can be used by any lactating team member. Now, any UVA Health team member who would like to work while pumping in the South Tower can thank Dr. Schaeffer for the idea and the Spark program for bringing it to life.

“I don’t think I can adequately put into words what it means to have the support for this project through the Spark competition,” says Dr. Schaeffer. “Even though I am finished breastfeeding, it fills my heart to know that future generations of lactating GME [graduate medical education] trainees and other team members will have access to these computers to support their breastfeeding journeys.”

Your Ideas Can Come to Life With Spark, Too

The Spark Innovation Competition is a new, twice-yearly competition to help bring your great ideas — like Dr. Schaeffer’s — to life. The first round is focusing on the clinical environment. UVA Health is looking for ideas from all team members that will help fix a patient care or clinical efficiency problem and/or improve the experience of working in the patient care environment.

Ten submissions will be selected for a prize of $1,000, and three ideas will be selected for guaranteed implementation. The deadline to apply for this round is Friday, Feb. 25. Learn more and apply now.