Mercy Hospital Opens Braum's Infant Milk Center At OKC Hospital

An Oklahoma dairy giant announces a donation to ensure the smallest Oklahomans get the nutrients they need from mothers’ milk and formula.

Friday, Mercy Hospital leaders and Braum’s announced a half-million-dollar donation for a state-of-the-art milk center for infants at the hospital.

“Nobody can provide better milk than a mother’s milk, than Braum’s milk,” former Oklahoma first lady Cathy Keating said.

“This is the gold standard as to how to prepare breastmilk and formula for NICU,” Mercy Nursing Executive Director Laura Beck said.

She said the room will be used for storage and preparation of both mother’s milk and formula.

“When we prepare breastmilk for our babies, it’s got to be done in a sterile environment and we did not have that before,” Beck said. “We did the best that we could and we took care of our babies fantastically, but now we have a space that is dedicated strictly for this milk and this medicine that will be giving to our babies.”

“You are the Oklahoma standard. You are excellent,” Keating said. “You are everything that mercy represents.”

Keating said when the need arose, she knew Braum’s was the partner they needed, saying Braum’s President and CEO Drew Braum was quick to agree to support the project.

“At Braum’s our passion is always providing nutritious milk for our customers, and that led us to know that we knew that we wanted to be able to help provide the milk for the babies here at the Love Family Women’s Center, and the Mercy NICU,” Amanda Beuchaw with Braum’s said. 

A staff of nine lactation specialists will work in the Braum’s infant milk room.

Mercy says they are hoping to make the milk room a drop-off location for the Oklahoma Mothers Milk Bank for mothers wanting to donate in Northwest Oklahoma City.

The milk center is part of a nearly $100 million Love Family Women’s Center at Mercy Hospital that opened in March of this year.