Prolacta Bioscience Appoints Dr. Sandra Sullivan as Director of Clinical Education and Professional Development

Recognized as a Human Milk Research Pioneer; Among First Clinicians to Study 100% Human Milk-Based Diet for Vulnerable Premature Infants

DUARTE, Calif., Oct. 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Prolacta Bioscience, the world’s leading hospital provider of 100% human milk-based nutritional products for critically ill and premature infants, announced today that neonatologist and breastfeeding medicine expert Sandra Sullivan, MD, IBCLC, FAAP has been appointed director of clinical education and professional development.

Dr. Sullivan brings more than 20 years of experience as a board-certified neonatologist to Prolacta’s Medical Science Liaison team, where she will be educating healthcare providers to enhance patient nutrition outcomes. She will also continue to practice part time with Envision Healthcare at HCA Florida North Florida Hospital NICU in Gainesville, FL. Throughout her career, she has practiced at neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) across the country, including Roy Lester Schneider Hospital, UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital, and Sinai Hospital of Baltimore.

Among the first clinicians to study Prolacta’s human milk-based fortifiers in the NICU, Dr. Sullivan published a pivotal study in The Journal of Pediatrics in 2010 that changed the landscape of nutrition standards. The study found that premature infants fed an exclusive human milk diet had significantly lower rates of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC; P = .02), and specifically NEC requiring surgical intervention (P = .007), compared to infants fed both human milk and cow milk-based products.¹ NEC is a potentially fatal intestinal disease that primarily affects preterm infants.

Dr. Sullivan continues a tradition of distinguished clinicians who researched and implemented Prolacta’s 100% human milk-based protocol before joining the company to educate other healthcare providers and improve outcomes for more infants.

“Dr. Sullivan’s deep expertise and clinical leadership make her the ideal choice to educate fellow neonatologists and care teams about the crucial role of an Exclusive Human Milk Diet (EHMD) for very low birth weight infants,” said Scott Elster, CEO at Prolacta. “Her knowledge and experience will enhance our efforts to raise awareness about the clinical benefits of human milk-based nutrition for the most vulnerable patients.”

A distinguished researcher, Dr. Sullivan has co-authored more than 20 studies in peer-reviewed journals and delivered more than 60 lectures and presentations at congresses throughout Europe and North America. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a member of several neonatal and breastfeeding medicine societies.

“Joining Prolacta presents an incredible opportunity to elevate the standard of care for the most fragile preterm babies,” said Dr. Sullivan. “Throughout my career, I’ve witnessed firsthand the significant impact of Prolacta’s products on the health outcomes of extremely premature infants. I’m excited to broaden my impact, supporting clinicians and families across numerous hospitals.”

Dr. Sullivan received her medical degree and completed her pediatrics residency and fellowship in neonatal-perinatal medicine at the University of Florida.

About Prolacta Bioscience

Prolacta Bioscience® is a global life sciences company dedicated to Advancing the Science of Human Milk® to improve health outcomes for critically ill and premature infants. More than 100,000 extremely premature infants worldwide² have benefited from Prolacta’s human milk-based products, which have been evaluated in more than 30 peer-reviewed clinical studies. Operating the world’s first pharmaceutical-grade human milk processing facilities, Prolacta maintains the industry’s strictest quality and safety standards, with over 20 validated tests for screening and testing human milk. Prolacta’s manufacturing process uses vat pasteurization to ensure pathogen inactivation while protecting nutritional composition and bioactivity. Learn more at www.prolacta.com, on X, Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

References:

1. Sullivan S, Schanler RJ, Kim JH, et al. An exclusively human milk-based diet is associated with a lower rate of necrotizing enterocolitis than a diet of human milk and bovine milk-based products. J Pediatr. 2010;156(4):562-7.e1. doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2009.10.040
2. Data on file; estimated number of premature infants fed Prolacta’s products from January 2007 to August 2023.

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SOURCE Prolacta Bioscience