In the near future, I plan on introducing a resolution honoring the 10th anniversary and life-saving medical achievements of the Mid-Atlantic Mothers’ Milk Bank.
 
The Mid-Atlantic Mothers’ Milk Bank was established as a regional milk bank to process and deliver ethically sourced pasteurized donor human milk to medically compromised inpatient and outpatient infants across the Commonwealth when their mother’s own milk is unavailable or cannot meet all of their needs. The milk bank’s dedicated team of sixteen employees now processes and distributes nearly 40,000 ounces of donor milk a month to over 82 hospital units and dozens of outpatients -- a 700 per cent increase in production since the milk bank opened in 2016.
 
The work of the milk bank has decreased infant mortality rates, shortened hospital stays, and reduced rates of devastating complications in the NICU setting while also providing essential nutrition for outpatient infants with debilitating health conditions. Small amounts of donor milk for necessary supplementation outside of the neonatal intensive care setting also support the development of a healthy microbiome in newborns and provide strong maternal breastfeeding support.
 
Please join me in recognizing the Mid-Atlantic Mothers’ Milk Bank on its 10th anniversary and extend our appreciation for its role as critical infrastructure vital to meeting the essential medical and nutritional needs of infants throughout the Commonwealth.