for hospitals & NICUs
When donor milk isn’t available, babies feel it first.
But your team feels it too. Most NICUs do not evaluate their milk supply chain until a gap appears, often when a fragile baby is waiting on a feed. Even a system that looks stable week to week can mask vulnerabilities that show up under pressure.
why our supply holds
How The Milk Bank keeps a 100% fill rate.
A broad, active donor base
Active outreach results in a large network of screened donors across the region – typically 2,000 annually! That means supply is replenished continuously rather than in unpredictable surges.
Distribution built for hospitals
Purchase-order dispensing, established logistics, and a team that understands NICU workflow, so ordering is predictable and milk arrives when it's expected – typically same or next day!
Nonprofit, mission-first priorities
As a nonprofit serving since 2005, the goal is meeting need, not maximizing margin. Hospitalized infants are the priority the entire operation is built around.
A network that can support continuity of care
The Milk Bank works within the nonprofit human milk banking community and with hospital partners across the region. That collaborative network helps support dependable access, shared standards and continuity when needs change.
the metric that rarely makes it into a contract review
Fill rate is the number that actually protects your unit.
100%
order fill rate. Every order, filled, without triage.
125
hospital units served, across 13 states nationwide.
0
units placed on allocation because The Milk Bank could not fully fill an order.
When supply is constrained, it puts hospitals on allocation. Orders get partially filled or delayed, and the shortfall lands on your unit with no warning, usually during a demand spike when you can least absorb it. The staff time spent chasing an alternate source, mid-shift, for a baby who needs milk now, never shows up in a contract comparison.
Reliability you can “bank” on
The best week to evaluate your supply is a week you do not need to.
Our hospital and patient services team can walk you through fill-rate history, outpatient continuum of care, and what onboarding actually involves. It's a short conversation now that could prevent a crisis later.