Hackensack Meridian Health Raritan Bay Medical Center Receives
First Human Breast Milk Donation

This marks the first breast milk donation for Hackensack Meridian Health 

Perth Amboy, NJ – August 26, 2019 –Hackensack Meridian Health Raritan Bay Medical Center Perth Amboy has received its first human breast milk donation.  The breast milk will be sent to the New York Milk Bank to be processed and then used for infants in need.

“Breast milk is so healthy for newborn babies but not all moms can produce enough breast milk or are on medication that cannot be given to the newborns.  This milk bank gives additional opportunities to give newborn babies breast milk.  Raritan Bay Medical Center is proud to offer this opportunity,” said Steven Goldberg, M.D., chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Raritan Bay Medical Center supports families and their babies throughout the life cycle by educating and supporting families on the benefits of human milk and breastfeeding.  Committed to the health of the community, Raritan Bay Medical Center became a licensed Human Milk Donor Depot, the first for Hackensack Meridian Health. In July of 2019, Raritan Bay Medical Center received its first donor milk and since July had two additional donors.

The New York Milk Bank is the first comprehensive nonprofit milk bank based in New York State, which collects milk from carefully screened donors, pasteurizes it and distributes to infants in New York State and the surrounding area. Their vision is that all women are supported in their breastfeeding and lactation goals and that all babies have access to safely pasteurized and affordable donor milk in situations where their mothers can’t breastfeed.

For more information about Raritan Bay Medical Center’s comprehensive array of maternity services, combining leading-edge medicine with integrative health therapies, visit: https://www.rbmc.org/maternity-center/

PHOTO CAPTION: Raritan Bay Medical Center first milk donor Anna Milrud and Kaaba Chenault, RN, BSN, IBCLC.

About Hackensack Meridian Health Raritan Bay Medical Center

For more than 100 years, Hackensack Meridian Health Raritan Bay Medical Center-Perth Amboy and Raritan Bay Medical Center-Old Bridge have provided a full continuum of health care services to residents of Central Jersey. Raritan Bay Medical Center is one of less than one percent of hospitals in the world to achieve Magnet Recognition, the “Gold Standard” for nursing practice, quality, and safety in patient care, four times. In 2019, U.S. News & World Report ranked Raritan Bay Medical Center as high performing in Orthopedics, Nephrology, COPD and Heart Failure.

The medical center is a New Jersey state designated Primary Stroke Center and recipient of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association’s Get With The Guidelines® Target: Stroke Honor Roll Elite Gold Plus Quality Achievement Award, recognizing optimal treatment of stroke patients. Raritan Bay is also a recipient of the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval and the AHA’s Heart Check Mark for Advanced Certification for Primary Stroke Centers and the AHA’s Mission: Lifeline® EMS Gold Plus Performance Achievement Award recognizing high-quality care of patients experiencing a severe heart attack.

The Joslin Diabetes Center, Affiliate at Raritan Bay-Old Bridge, provides the latest advances for treating diabetes and its complications as well as other metabolic and endocrine disorders. Among its flagship programs are the Human Motion Institute, a comprehensive orthopedic program, and Institute for Weight Loss at Raritan Bay-Old Bridge and Center for Bariatric Surgery at Raritan Bay-Perth Amboy, both specializing in weight loss surgery. As part of Hackensack Meridian Health, one of New Jersey’s most comprehensive health networks, patients have access to advanced specialized services with a seamless continuum of care, close to home.

For more information, visit www.rbmc.org. To make an appointment for an outpatient test or treatment, call 732-324-5270. For a free physician referral, call 1-800-560-9990.

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