The Medical Center at Bowling Green Becomes Donation Site for Human Breastmilk
On Tuesday, July 24, The Medical Center at Bowling Green, flagship hospital of Med Center Health, held a grand opening to celebrate becoming a “milk depot” for The Milk Bank.The Milk Bank is a nonprofit organization that promotes community health by expanding the safe use of human milk for all babies, especially premature and ill infants. The Medical Center will act as a donation site to accept milk from lactating women with infants who are less than two years old. As one of only six milk depots in Kentucky, The Medical Center will ensure the safe handling, storage and transport of donated human milk. Headquartered in Indianapolis, The Milk Bank also has depots in Indiana, Illinois and Missouri.
“We are so excited to become a Milk Depot location for The Milk Bank,” said Caitlin Burklow, Director of Women and Newborn Services at The Medical Center. “We have enjoyed a longstanding relationship with the Milk Bank as the only Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in the area and have seen firsthand the wonderful benefits of donor milk for our patients. I know the breastfeeding mothers in our area will be excited to have a convenient way to drop off milk that can potentially impact the life of a premature or ill infant.”
Area donors who have been approved will be able to drop off their excess breastmilk at The Medical Center. From there, the milk will be sent to The Milk Bank where it is bottled, pasteurized and tested for sterility by an independent lab. Once checked for safety, it is sent to ordering hospitals or outpatients with physician prescriptions.
To learn more about becoming a breastmilk donor, call The Medical Center at Bowling Green Lactation Department at 270-796-2108. For more information about Women’s Health Services at The Medical Center, visit TheMedicalCenter.org.
