SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb., ? Regional West’s Birth and Infant Care Center encourages area mothers with excess breast milk to donate to the Mothers’ Milk Bank.

Since 2018, Regional West’s Birth and Infant Care Center has been a collection site for the Mothers’ Milk Bank network, a Colorado-based nonprofit program benefitting babies nationwide. Area mothers who produce excess breast milk can drop off bags of milk with the Birth and Infant Care Center. The milk is tagged and safely stored in a freezer until it is ready to distribute to babies in need.

“Breast milk is a great source of vital nutrients, especially for medically-fragile infants,” said Erika Carmody, RN, MSN, interim chief nursing officer at Regional West. “We thank our donors for their generous gift.”

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, breastfed children experience improved dental health and neurodevelopmental outcomes, in addition to decreased risk of SIDS, respiratory tract infections, and asthma. When mothers breastfeed, they experience health benefits such as decreased risk of breast, ovarian, and endometrial cancers, in addition to lowered risk for type 2 diabetes and hypertension.

Donors can drop off milk at the Birth and Infant Care Center entrance, located on the north side of Regional West Medical Center. All milk donations must be frozen and labeled with the full date that the milk was pumped, including the year, plus your last name and donor number. Please call the Birth and Infant Care Center at 308-630-1550 prior to arrival so an employee can come and collect the donation.

Women interested in donating breast milk may complete a donor application form at https://milkbank.rmchildren.org/how-to-donate-breast-milk/ or call 303-869-1888. A blood test is required and will be provided free of charge. To learn more about donation, visit https://milkbank.rmchildren.org/.

Regional West Laboratory Receives Accreditation from College of American Pathologists

SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb., ? The Accreditation Committee of the College of American Pathologists (CAP) has awarded accreditation to Regional West Laboratory, Scottsbluff, Nebraska based on results of a recent on-site inspection as part of the CAP’s Accreditation Programs.

The facility’s director, Kelly Ramirez, HT(ASCP), was advised of this national recognition and congratulated for the excellence of the services being provided. Regional West Laboratory is one of more than 8,000 CAP- accredited facilities worldwide.

“We are excited and honored to receive reaccreditation from CAP for our laboratory at Regional West,” said Kelly Ramirez, HT(ASCP). “We look forward to continuing to assist our patients in the community with exceptional service.”

“The CAP is pleased to recognize Regional West Laboratory as meeting the high standard set as part of the CAP’s Laboratory Accreditation Program,” said Richard M. Scanlan, MD, FCAP, chair of the CAP’s Council on Accreditation. “Regional West Laboratory joins the thousands of others that are committed to raising the quality of laboratory services nationally and internationally.”

The U.S. federal government recognizes the CAP laboratory Accreditation Program, begun in the early 1960s, as being equal-to or more-stringent-than the government’s own inspection program.

During the CAP accreditation process, designed to ensure the highest standard of care for all laboratory patients, inspectors examine the laboratory’s records and quality control of procedures for the preceding two years. CAP inspectors also examine laboratory staff qualifications, equipment, facilities, safety program and record, and overall management.

About the College of American Pathologists

As the world’s largest organization of board-certified pathologists and leading provider of laboratory accreditation and proficiency testing programs, the College of American Pathologists (CAP) serves patients, pathologists, and the public by fostering and advocating excellence in the practice of pathology and laboratory medicine worldwide. For more information, read the CAP Annual Report at cap.org.