Last year, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences opened the state’s first milk bank, which provides breast milk for mothers of newborns.

During the 2021 legislative session, lawmakers passed Act 225 to create the milk bank. In an interview with Arkansas PBS, Rep. Aaron Pilkington, Republican of Knoxville, and a sponsor of the bill, said the bill was needed because Arkansas was having to buy milk from other states.

“We had to go to either Texas or Michigan. What’s even crazier is we had mothers who wanted to donate their milk and we’re sending it to other states,” he said.

Misty L. Virmani, M.D., executive medical director of the UAMS Milk Bank, said it is important that the state has a milk bank.

Officials reflect on first 'milk bank' in Arkansas

LITTLE ROCK — Baptist Health, in support of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Milk Bank, has opened milk depots at two of its medical centers in Conway and Stuttgart.

The Conway Baptist Health Milk Depot and the Stuttgart Baptist Health Milk Depot are designated spaces for women to donate milk, which will be sent to the UAMS Milk Bank for screening, pasteurization and nutritional analysis. After processing, milk will be sent, according to need, to hospitals throughout Arkansas.

Located in the Monroe Building just off UAMS’ main campus in Little Rock, the UAMS Milk Bank, the first facility of its kind in Arkansas, focuses on the health of mothers and newborns in Arkansas through encouragement and support of breastfeeding. The new milk bank helps ensure a ready supply of donor milk for sick and vulnerable infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) around the state, shortening the time it takes for regional hospitals to receive critical milk supplies and improving outcomes for babies.

Baptist Health Opens UAMS Milk Bank Depots in Conway and Stuttgart