A warm welcome to Dr. Susan Laster, the newest member of the milk bank’s Medical Advisory Board and advocate for donor milk awareness. Our boards include two dozen physicians, scientists, lactation consultants, dieticians, and other healthcare providers from a wide range of hospitals, practices, and states. Susan brings a valuable perspective as a primary care pediatrician caring for families in her local community.
Community pediatricians supporting breastfeeding
In practice since 1995, Susan trained at Massachusetts General Hospital, and has worked for two decades in private practice with her colleagues Dr. Sally Roth and Dr. Sari Rotter. Their small, personalized practice is affiliated with Boston Children’s Hospital. “We all live and practice in Brookline, which is a truly wonderful experience, because by working where we live, we get to know our patients very well,” says Susan. “We are all highly supportive of breastfeeding.”
For 10 years Susan served on the board of the Pediatric Physicians Organization at Children’s, the largest primary care referral network for Boston Children’s Hospital. She remains active on that group’s committees, and also serves on the boards of the Brookline Music School and Temple Sinai. She has two sons, enjoys jogging, and she and her husband, who is a urologist, are amateur birders.
A staunch advocate of breastfeeding
Susan first learned about the milk bank through her college friend Ann Marie Lindquist, Director of Community Relations. “Susan is a staunch advocate of breastfeeding, and over the years she and I have had some wonderful conversations about how to support moms and babies in getting breastfeeding off to a good start,” says Ann Marie. “After I joined the milk bank staff, I was eager to invite Susan for a visit and hear her thoughts as a pediatrician practicing in the community.”
Increasing donor milk awareness
“One of my goals in joining the board is to increase awareness of the milk bank in the primary care setting, both for mothers who are struggling with nursing and for mothers who are in a position to donate their own milk,” says Susan. We look forward to working with Susan and learning how we can be even more effective in our outreach to families in the community.
