HMBANA Statement on Geisinger Medical Center NICU
Contact: Lindsay Groff, Executive Director
Email: lindsay@hmbana.org
11/8/19, Ft Worth, TX – The Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA) expresses its sincerest condolences to the affected families and community in the recent deaths and illnesses of newborns at Geisinger Medical Center’s NICU.
HMBANA’s network of 28 nonprofit milk banks work across the United States and Canada to provide clinically safe, pasteurized donor human milk. Together, with our member milk banks, we publish two internationally recognized publications to promote and uphold the highest clinical standards available. HMBANA works closely with the CDC and FDA; our member milk banks also work with their state and local regulatory bodies as required.
Geisinger stressed that the pasteurized donor human milk provided to their hospital was and continues to be safe. The hospital’s internal equipment used for measuring the milk was found to be the source of bacterial exposure.
Geisinger has implemented changes to eliminate this problem and is now working with local health officials to safely resume operations. Meanwhile, HMBANA and our member banks continue to assist hospital clients in adopting proactive, stringent policies for the safe handling of donor milk by their NICU staff and beyond.
