News
May 14, 2018SUNY SCCC Campus Chosen by St. Peter’s Health Partners as Site for New Mamava Breast Feeding/Pumping Unit
Nursing mothers now have an important resource in the city of Schenectady through a new Mamava unit installed on the SUNY Schenectady County Community College campus through St. Peters Health Partners. The Mamava is designed to provide nursing mothers an appropriate space to pump or breastfeed in privacy when away from home.
Officials from both the College and St. Peter’s Health Partners hosted an Opening of the Mamava Unit on Friday, May 11, at 10:30 a.m. in the lobby of the Begley Building.Remarks were made by representatives from both institutions. Shown during the ribbon cutting are Dr. Peggy King, Trustee, SUNY SCCC; Erin Sinisgalli, Director of Community Health Programs, St. Peter’s Health Partners; Dr. Steady Moono, President, SUNY SCCC; Susan Hatalsky, Professor, SUNY SCCC; and Nneka Morgini ’15, Assistant to the President and Board of Trustees, SUNY SCCC.
This new addition to campus is part of “Creating Breastfeeding Friendly Communities,” a five-year grant awarded to St. Peter’s Health Partners by the New York State Department of Health.
St. Peter’s Health Partners was one of six organizations statewide awarded the grants which began in February 2017. The aim of the project is to fund a coordinated community network to build/expand community-based breastfeeding partnerships, policies and environmental changes for breastfeeding protection, promotion, support and care management within community settings and businesses, and with child care and health care providers.
St. Peter’s Health Partners chose SUNY SCCC as the location for the breast feeding and pumping station because of the College’s proximity to downtown Schenectady and its ability to reach students, faculty and staff, as well as the general public, who will have access to this private lactation space. The grant held by St. Peter’s Health Partners covers areas of the Capital District that statistically have the lowest rates of breastfeeding and highest rates of obesity, as determined by CDC data and WIC utilization rates.
Representatives from St. Peter’s Health Partners expressed the positive effects of having the Mamava located on the College campus, noting that researchers have seen lower rates of obesity in breastfed babies all the way through adulthood.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with SUNY SCCC on this project,” said Kristen Lynch, Outreach Specialist at St. Peter’s Health Partners and Coordinator of the grant. “They are creating an environment that supports every mom regardless of their infant feeding choice.”
“One very important benefit of breastfeeding is obesity prevention,” said Erin Sinisgalli, Director of Community Health Programs for St. Peter’s Health Partners. “In addition to the many positive health benefits for mothers, long-term studies of breastfeeding show it contributes to a lifetime of good health and healthy eating patterns for babies.”
“The installation of the Mamava nursing pod on our campus aligns perfectly with our mission to be an inclusive, collaborative community,” said Stacy McIlduff, Executive Director of Development at the College. “In addition to faculty, staff, and community members, the pod will be available to students enrolled at the College who are nursing mothers working on completing their degrees. The pod will play an important role in our efforts to invest in campus renewal and we are delighted to work with St. Peter’s Health Partners and the Department of Health to increase access for mothers spending time on our campus.”
