The Health Careers Workforce Mobile Unit, a new traveling medical education facility, is hitting the road to educate students across the state on the various career opportunities in healthcare.
The UAMS-led program is managed by the Arkansas Rural Health Partnership (ARHP) with support from the Community Health Centers of Arkansas (CHCA).
The purpose of the mobile training facility is to visit schools in rural communities to increase understanding, awareness, interest, and connection to health career opportunities. Students learn about available healthcare careers through simulation experiences and visits with healthcare professionals, including UAMS medical students.
“We are proud of this program because we recognize that by introducing health care career opportunities to individuals in rural communities, it may also get them excited about the possibilities that lie ahead,” said Richard Turnage, MD, vice chancellor for UAMS regional campuses. “When programs like this invest in the future of students, everyone benefits.”
The interactive experience provides students with information on the education requirements needed for entry into specific medical fields, how many years of training are required, the average cost of programs and the institutions that offer medical training and then guides them through the admissions processes and scholarship opportunities.
“In addressing the health care gap in Arkansas, we need to pursue innovative approaches like the Health Careers Workforce Mobile Unit,” said Mellie Bridewell, president of ARHP. “Through the variety of resources that this facility offers, we have a proactive strategy in directing students toward careers in health care, helping to alleviate the growing demand for quality treatment.”
“What we are excited about is that this project is the culmination of focused collaboration between several organizations, and we understand that is crucial in providing excellent localized health care,” said Rex Jones, MBA, chief executive officer of ARHP. “Through these partnerships, we believe we have established the groundwork for future programs that will further help underserved communities in Arkansas.”
The unit has an exam room, two blood draw rooms, and state-of-the-art equipment such as smartboards. Career counselors are available both on-site and virtually to connect interested students to customized college and career path preparation. Through the partnership, multiple possibilities are being explored to utilize the mobile unit for junior and senior medical students to participate in providing care, or additional training, to rural and underserved communities, or to assist in promoting health professions to junior and high school students. There will also be an option through the AHEC Scholars program at UAMS for a senior elective that will allow students to accompany the unit’s staff at visits.
“What we have learned from the COVID-19 pandemic is that we need creative solutions to accommodate the demand for personalized care throughout the state,” said Lanita White, PharmD, chief executive officer of CHCA. “This is especially so for vulnerable, minority and rural populations.”
To schedule a visit, contact Nathan O’Fallon at nathan@arruralhealth.org or call (870) 939-8772. For more information ARHP’s health care career programing, visit careers.arruralhealth.org.
The program is grant-funded by the UAMS regional campuses program through Arkansas Medical Education Primary Care Partnerships (AR MEd-PCP). The program is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Value-Based Medical Student Education Training Program of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $12,282,365 with 10% financed with non-governmental sources.