Mid-Atlantic Mothers' Milk Bank

What Mid-Atlantic Mothers' Milk Bank does

Mid-Atlantic Mothers' Milk Bank is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, HMBANA-accredited human milk bank headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that collects, screens, pasteurizes, tests, and distributes donated human milk to medically vulnerable infants across the Mid-Atlantic region. Founded in 2013 (incorporated as Three Rivers Mothers' Milk Bank, opened in 2016, renamed in 2017), the organization serves more than 30 neonatal intensive care units across Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware, plus outpatient families on a prescription basis. Core processing uses the Holder Method of Pasteurization (62.5°C for 30 minutes) executed in ACE Intermed automated pasteurizers, with bacterial culturing on every batch, donor blood screening via Quest Diagnostics and Lab Corp, and macronutrient profiling using the Miris Human Milk Analyzer. Milk is offered in multiple clinical variants — pre-term, term at 20/22/24 kcal per ounce, de-fatted, dairy- and soy-restricted specialty diets, colostrum, and cream — packaged in 50 ml, 100 ml, and 200 ml bottles. Distribution relies on a courier service for Pittsburgh-area hospitals and FedEx overnight shipping for remote facilities and outpatient families, with a growing network of hospital-based donor milk depots.

The organization operates a hybrid nonprofit revenue model: per-ounce processing fees (historically $4.25-$4.50 per ounce) charged to hospitals and outpatient families, supplemented by tax-deductible foundation grants and individual contributions. Owen's Law (Act 32 of 2023), which took effect January 20, 2024, expanded Pennsylvania Medicaid coverage for medically necessary donor milk, materially strengthening the reimbursement side of the model. Growth has been driven by donor network expansion (500+ lifetime donors, ~100 active), depot buildout (four new depots in 2025 alone, plus first-in-state West Virginia depots at CAMC and WVU Medicine Golisano in 2026), and clinical product line extensions. The organization is currently mid-relocation from its 5,000 sq ft Strip District facility to a larger site in Bellevue, PA under the "One to Grow On" capital campaign to remove processing-capacity constraints. The organization is led by founder and Executive Director Denise O'Connor, an IBCLC, supported by an operations director, business manager, screening manager, and lab manager, with governance from a Board of Directors and a Medical Advisory Board that includes senior UPMC neonatology and pediatric leadership.

Name

Mid-Atlantic Mothers' Milk Bank

Legal name

Three Rivers Mothers' Milk Bank

Website

https://midatlanticmilkbank.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Mid-Atlantic Mothers' Milk Bank is a Pittsburgh-based, HMBANA-accredited 501(c)(3) nonprofit that screens, pasteurizes (Holder Method), and distributes donated human milk to 30+ NICUs across Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware, and to outpatient families on prescription, with a depot-based regional collection and courier/FedEx distribution model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Human Milk Banking Services

NAICS

Blood and Organ Banks (621991), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212)

SIC

Wholesale-Medical, Dental & Hospital Equipment & Supplies (5047)

akta.pro primary industry

Lactation, Postpartum & Perinatal Support Services (HLAFAJAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Breastfeeding, Lactation & Infant Feeding Support (EDACAMAB)

Keywords

• Donor human milk
• Milk bank services
• Pasteurized donor milk
• Neonatal nutrition supply
• HMBANA accredited

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittsburgh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donor Milk Processing Fees: Hospitals and outpatient families pay processing fees that offset costs of donor screening, bottles, milk testing, pasteurization, and staff time. Fee structure based on ounce/volume dispensed.
2. Insurance/Medicaid Coverage: Owen's Law (Act 32 of 2023) provides Medicaid coverage for medically necessary donor milk. Commercial insurance may also cover with pre-authorization.
3. Tax-Deductible Donations: As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the milk bank is funded by foundation grants and individual contributions. All financial contributions are tax deductible.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Mid-Atlantic Mothers' Milk Bank screens volunteer breast milk donors, pasteurizes donated milk using the HMBANA-mandated Holder Method, performs bacterial culturing, drug screening, and macronutrient analysis, and distributes the resulting pasteurized donor human milk to hospital NICUs and outpatient families by prescription across the Mid-Atlantic region. Complementary offerings include donor-milk variants (pre-term, term, de-fatted, colostrum, cream, and dairy/soy-restricted) as well as bereavement support materials and a published children's book.

Product overview

Mid-Atlantic Mothers' Milk Bank operates as a nonprofit milk banking organization accredited by the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA). The core product is pasteurized, tested, and screened donor human milk provided to medically vulnerable infants in both inpatient (NICU) and outpatient settings. The milk bank offers various milk products including pre-term milk, term milk in multiple caloric densities (20/22/24 kcal per ounce), de-fatted milk, cream, specialty diets (dairy-restricted or soy-restricted), and colostrum. Milk is distributed in 50ml, 100ml, and 200ml BPA-free bottles. The organization also provides educational products including a children's book ('An Ounce of Sharing...at the Milk Bank') and bereavement support materials. Founded in 2016 originally as Three Rivers Mothers' Milk Bank, the organization serves Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pasteurized Donor Human Milk Banking Services End-to-end donor human milk banking service for medically vulnerable infants in NICU and outpatient settings, covering donor screening, milk collection, Holder Method Pasteurization at 62.5°C for 30 minutes, bacterial culturing, drug testing, macronutrient analysis, and distribution in 50ml, 100ml, and 200ml BPA-free bottles. Available in pre-term, term (20/22/24 kcal per ounce), de-fatted, cream, colostrum, and dairy- or soy-restricted formulations.
• An Ounce of Sharing at the Milk Bank (Children's Book) Educational children's book by board member Jan Mallak that teaches children about the value of milk banks and honors mothers who donate breast milk. Sold via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Mascot Books, with all proceeds supporting the Mid-Atlantic Mothers' Milk Bank.
• Bereavement Support Materials Support materials for bereaved families experiencing infant loss, including a helpful booklet available in English and Spanish, grief resources, support group information, and a collaborative breast massage video. Designed to accompany bereaved mothers who choose to donate pumped breast milk.

Quantifiable outcome

• Lower rates of serious complications in NICU infants receiving donor milk compared to formula-fed infants
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WVU Medicine Golisano Children's HospitalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 April 2026WVU Medicine Golisano Children's Hospital became a donor breast milk depot in April 2026, serving as a local collection point for milk donations and strengthening infant health commitment in West Virginia.
• CAMC Women and Children's HospitalcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 February 2026First breast milk depot in West Virginia, ribbon cutting February 9, 2026. Gives mothers easier access to donate breast milk and provides life-saving donor milk to infants in the region.
• UPMC HamotminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 May 2025Partner hospital purchasing breast milk for patients, with milk depot at facility.
• UPMC HorizonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 June 2024Partnership began June 2024. UPMC Horizon purchases breast milk for patients, joining UPMC Magee-Womens, UPMC Hamot, and UPMC Altoona.
• UPMC AltoonacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 August 2023First hospital in UPMC system and fifth in Pennsylvania to become a donation depot (August 2023). Local source of nourishment for premature babies and those whose mothers cannot fully supply their needs.
• Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccreditation body setting standards for human milk banking. Mid-Atlantic Mothers' Milk Bank follows HMBANA guidelines for donor screening, pasteurization, testing, and distribution. Part of network of milk banks across North America.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• WakeMed Mothers' Milk Bank: North Carolina-based HMBANA-accredited hospital-affiliated milk bank distributing pasteurized donor human milk to NICUs across the Southeast under the same operating model as MAMMB.
• Mothers' Milk Bank Northeast: HMBANA-accredited nonprofit milk bank serving the New England region with the same pasteurized donor milk operating model, hospital NICU customer base, and volunteer donor supply chain as MAMMB. Closest geographic neighbor and structurally identical business model.
• The Milk Bank (Indianapolis): Indiana-based HMBANA-accredited milk bank operating the same pasteurized donor milk collection, screening, and NICU distribution model, including outreach programs and hospital depot partnerships analogous to MAMMB.
• Mothers' Milk Bank at Austin: Texas-based HMBANA-accredited milk bank and one of the largest in the network, running identical processing operations (Holder pasteurization, bacterial culturing, macronutrient analysis) and serving a multi-state hospital and outpatient customer base.
• Northwest Mother's Milk Bank: Portland-based HMBANA-accredited milk bank serving the Pacific Northwest with the same operations model — donor screening, Holder pasteurization, NICU hospital sales, and outpatient prescription fulfillment.
• OhioHealth Mothers' Milk Bank: HMBANA-accredited hospital-affiliated milk bank in Columbus, Ohio processing and distributing pasteurized donor human milk across Ohio and adjacent states under the same operational model as MAMMB.
• Mothers' Milk Bank of San Jose: HMBANA-accredited California milk bank operating identical donor screening, Holder pasteurization, and NICU distribution operations. Functions as a sister organization within the HMBANA network with comparable product portfolio.
• New York Milk Bank: HMBANA-accredited milk bank operating in New York state — directly adjacent to MAMMB's service area. Uses identical Holder Method pasteurization, distributes to NICUs and outpatient families, and holds overlapping state licensure.
• Milk Bank of the Rockies: HMBANA-accredited nonprofit milk bank serving Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region with the same pasteurized donor milk distribution model, NICU and outpatient customers, and volunteer donor recruitment approach as MAMMB.

Emerging players

• Prolacta Bioscience: For-profit commercial human milk processor that manufactures human milk-based fortifiers for premature infants. Operates outside the HMBANA nonprofit model but competes for donor supply and adjacent NICU demand, representing the most credible for-profit pressure on nonprofit milk banks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/MidAtlanticMothersMilkBank
• Instagraminstagram.com/midatlanticmilkbank
• Xx.com/PAMilkBank

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Mid-Atlantic Mothers' Milk Bank