LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Baptist Health Foundation was awarded a mini grant from the Blue & You Foundation to support Baptist Health’s Community Outreach Food Rx for Expecting and New Mothers program. The $5,000 mini grant will help purchase food items to serve patients identified as food insecure. The program provides a three-day grocery supply each month for up to two years postpartum for patients enrolled in the program which serves over 100 participants and their families. Mothers not only receive healthy nutrition, they also receive nutrition education, mentoring, health screenings,shopping and meal-prep instruction as well.
Arkansas consistently ranks the lowest in the nation for maternal mortality. Baptist Health is committed to identifying and addressing the social determinants for healthy pregnancies and improving Arkansas’ maternal and infant mortality rates. This grant will help support healthy babies, pregnancies, deliveries and postpartum wellness.
“It’s hard to have a healthy pregnancy when you’re worried about where your next meal is coming from,” said Teresa Conner, system director of community outreach at Baptist Health. “If we want to lower the infant death rate in Arkansas, we have to start seeing food security as a basic part of healthcare.”
The mothers enrolled in the Community Outreach Prenatal Wellness Program will receive educational support for up to two years after their baby is born. This allows Baptist Health to ensure mothers are cared for and healthy nutrition becomes routine for mom, baby and her family. To learn more about the Food Rx for Expecting and New Mothers program, call Baptist Health Community Outreach at (501) 202-1540.
“Baptist Health Foundation is grateful to the Blue & You Foundation for recognizing the vital link between nutrition and maternal health,” said Janet Marshall, chief development officer of Baptist Health Foundation. “This grant is more than just a financial contribution; it is a catalyst that allows us to provide sustained, evidence-based support to mothers during the most critical stages of their baby’s development and their own postpartum recovery.”
To learn more about Baptist Health Foundation, For more information about Baptist Health Foundation, visit baptisthealthfoundation.org or call (501) 202-1839.
About Baptist Health
For more than a century, Baptist Health has delivered all our best in health care through Christian compassion and innovative services. Baptist Health, Arkansas’ most comprehensive health care organization, is here For You. For Life. – with more than 300 points of access that include 12 hospitals; urgent care centers; a senior living community; over 75 primary and specialty care clinics; a college with studies in nursing and allied health; and a graduate residency program. It is also the largest private not-for-profit health care organization based in Arkansas, providing care through the support of approximately 12,000 employees, groundbreaking treatments, renowned physicians and community outreach programs. Baptist Health is certified as a Great Place to Work and is honored by Newsweek as one of America’s Most Admired Workplaces 2026. For more information about Baptist Health, visit Baptist-Health.org, call Baptist Health HealthLine at 1-888-BAPTIST or download the myBaptistHealth app. Find us on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.