GoldBug Gives $100,000 to Create Fund Supporting Maternal Health Training
| LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) received a $100,000 gift from GoldBug, a Denver-based company specializing in products for babies and young children, to create the Doula and Lactation Training Program Fund in the UAMS Institute for Community Health Innovation.
“I am grateful for Goldbug’s commitment to UAMS as we strive to improve maternal health throughout Arkansas,” said C. Lowry Barnes, M.D., UAMS interim chancellor. “UAMS is committed to expanding the doula workforce in Arkansas. Goldbug’s generous gift will allow us to provide doula training across the state, helping to ensure that women in rural areas have the support they need during labor and delivery, as well as assistance with breastfeeding, emotional and mental health support, and advocacy within our health care systems.”
Founded in 1968, GoldBug is a leader in the baby and young children’s accessory business.
“As a supplier of young children’s accessories and gear, GoldBug has been a partner to Walmart and the Arkansas community for decades, and we are committed to supporting the people who live and work here,” said Katherine Gold, CEO of GoldBug. “Communities around the country must work together across the public and private sectors to make sure that every mom can have a healthy baby. We are thrilled to partner with UAMS; this investment demonstrates our commitment to promote better maternal health in Arkansas.”
The Doula and Lactation Training Program Fund, a nonendowed fund, will support the expansion of the UAMS Institute for Community Health Innovation’s collaborative doula and lactation training program to address the pressing need for enhanced maternal care in rural areas of Arkansas.
“Doulas are an important part of our state’s effort to ensure all moms and babies in Arkansas are healthy, especially in the rural areas of the state,” said Pearl McElfish, Ph.D., MBA, director of the Institute for Community Health Innovation. “The Doula and Lactation Training Program Fund will be a powerful tool that supports maternal health training in Arkansas — skills that are critically needed for delivering and raising babies. We are deeply grateful for committed partners like GoldBug, a company that has a stunning record of supporting families across the county.”
Established in 2024, the institute works with communities across Arkansas to conduct community-based research and deploy community-driven programs to improve health outcomes in rural and medically underserved regions of the state. Based in Springdale, the institute has staff and offices across the state, including in Batesville, El Dorado, Fort Smith, Helena-West Helena, Jonesboro, Lake Village, Little Rock, Magnolia, Pine Bluff and Texarkana.
UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and eight institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute, Institute for Digital Health & Innovation and the Institute for Community Health Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,553 students and 902 medical residents and fellows. It is the state’s largest public employer with about 12,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube or Instagram.###