Newton Mayor David Cohen Receives “Share the Health Award” from Mothers’ Milk Bank of New England
The Mothers’ Milk Bank of New England (MMBNE) will present the first Share the Health award to Mayor David Cohen of Newton, MA this Friday April 24, 2009 at 12:15 PM at the first MMBNE Medical Education Program conference to be held at Holy Family Hospital in Methuen, MA.
MMBNE (milkbankne.org) is a non-profit organization providing donor human milk for newborns in need throughout New England. A milk bank accepts milk from mothers who have more milk than their babies need, screens and pasteurizes the milk and dispenses it primarily to premature and ill hospitalized babies whose mothers do not have sufficient milk. “ As we learn more about the nutritional, immunologic and growth factors in human milk and the risks of artificial formula, especially for vulnerable premature babies, the need for a milk bank in our region becomes essential,” explained Ilene Fabisch, lactation consultant and clinical director of MMBNE.
The conference, Donor Human Milk: Preventative Medicine in Practice, is part of MMBNE’s Medical Education Program to educate physicians, midwives, nurses, and other health care providers about human milk research, clinical uses for donor human milk and ethical issues in human milk banking (http://milkbankne.org/conferencePR.shtml).
The Share the Health Award honors an individual who has contributed to achieving the mission of MMBNE. This year, the award is being presented to Mayor David B. Cohen, of Newton, Massachusetts, in recognition of his outstanding support of the mission of MMBNE. “Mayor Cohen’s vision and concern for premature and ill babies have led him to be a strong supporter of the Mothers’ Milk Bank of New England,” said Naomi Bar-Yam, executive director of the milk bank.
The mayor provided MMBNE with a place in the City of Newton Cultural Center to serve as the milk bank’s office and dispensary. This spring, as the milk bank prepares to process donor milk, Mayor Cohen enabled MMBNE to retrofit the dispensary to include the laboratory and its equipment. “Thanks to Mayor Cohen, the Mothers’ Milk Bank of New England is well on its way to becoming a fully operational milk bank, the only one in New England,” commented Dr. Kathleen Marinelli, neonatologist and medical director of MMBNE.
Latest news
Spring Newsletter Available
See the Spring 2011 Newsletter. You may also sign up to receive our newsletter by email.
Breast milk from donors is proving helpful in the Brigham’s neonatal ICU
Boston Globe article about donor milk.
MMBNE Executive Director on WBUR
A recent Radio Boston show featuring Executive Director Naomi Bar-Yam.
Milk Banks & Wet Nursing
An article from the Hartford Advocate.
A recent Newsweek article on milk banking.
Mothers' Milk Bank of New England
PO Box 60-0091 Newtonville, MA 02460
Office phone: 617-527-6263
Fax: 617-527-1005