Background of the Cord Blood Bank of Arkansas
In March 2007, state legislators unanimously approved the Newborn Umbilical Cord Initiative Act. This Act allowed for the establishment of the Cord Blood Bank of Arkansas, which is keeping Arkansas on the front edge of medical development by authorizing the collection, storage, and research of cells from umbilical cord blood following the birth of healthy children.
Included in the Arkansas legislation was the formation of the Arkansas Commission for the Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood Initiative, established to help set up and provide oversight for a statewide cord blood banking network, which aids in collecting and transporting donations to a central storage facility called the Cord Blood Bank of Arkansas (CBBA), currently located at UAMS.
UAMS, the current site of the CBBA, is dedicated to educating the public about the Cord Blood Bank’s life-saving potential for the people of Arkansas and beyond.
Overview of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), which has a large adult blood cell transplant program, is the current location of the Cord Blood Bank of Arkansas. The CBBA is linked with national and international networks of cord blood banks that supply these cells for transplant and research all over the world.
UAMS has provided outstanding education, research, and health care services to the citizens of Arkansas since 1879. Since its inception, the UAMS College of Medicine has celebrated phenomenal achievement in teaching, clinical care, research, and service. Today, the UAMS College of Medicine continues its tradition of producing world class physicians and researchers who stand on the forefront of medical breakthroughs.