OhioHealth Mothers' Milk Bank Opens 36th Donation Site at Delaware Public Health District

OhioHealth Mothers' Milk Bank opened a milk drop site at the Delaware Public Health District, its 36th location in Ohio, the system announced on October 16, 2026. The bank distributed nearly 491,289 ounces, or about 3,838 gallons, of donor milk in 2026, according to EIN Presswire.

The Delaware County Milk Drop Site

The new site at 470 South Sandusky Street gives approved donors in Delaware County a free place to drop off human milk, which is then stored in an on-site freezer before transfer to the main milk bank in Columbus. Donated milk is screened, pasteurized, and distributed by prescription to babies across North America.

"We are thrilled to be opening this new milk drop to make donating even easier," said Denise Chears, Milk Bank Clinical Nurse at the OhioHealth Mothers' Milk Bank. "With this new milk drop, approved donors in and around Delaware can conveniently donate their milk."

Lauren Robinson, breastfeeding coordinator for the Delaware Public Health District, said the district is proud to partner in expanding access to donor milk drop locations for families throughout Delaware County. The bank operates under Human Milk Banking Association of North America guidelines and is one of 28 such banks on the continent.

Donors must complete screening steps including phone eligibility verification, medical and lifestyle history review, medical releases, physician consent, and blood tests for HIV, HTLV, Hepatitis B and C, and syphilis.

OhioHealth's Scale Across Ohio

OhioHealth is a nonprofit health system founded in 1891 and based in Columbus, according to akta.pro company records. The system operates 16 hospitals across central and north central Ohio and holds approximately 40% market share in the Columbus area according to a DOJ antitrust complaint cited in the same records. Its Employer Solutions unit serves more than 10,000 employers throughout Ohio.

Earlier OhioHealth Moves in 2026

OhioHealth's Van Wert Hospital earned critical access hospital designation in September 2026, a move aimed at strengthening rural sustainability and maintaining local care access, Becker's Hospital Review reported. In August 2026, OhioHealth Morrow County Hospital in Mount Gilead began replacing its Pyxis automated dispensing cabinets with Omnicell units to improve medication safety and coordination, according to Becker's Hospital Review. Also in August 2026, OhioHealth launched a comprehensive Addiction Medicine program in southeast Ohio supported by a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the system said.

What Comes Next for the Milk Bank

The bank's 36 milk drop locations across Ohio now include the Delaware Public Health District site, which accepts donations from approved donors in the county.