HJAR Jul/Aug 2023

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  JUL / AUG 2023 35 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalAR.com Human Services to fund training and outreach programs in rural and underserved areas of the state. The Health Resources and Services Adminis- tration (HRSA), an agency in the Department of Health and Human Services, awarded the money under its Value-Based Medical Student Education Grant. The supplemental funding brings UAMS’ fiscal-year award to $6.6 million and raises the overall grant award to nearly $19.6 million over four years. UAMS will use the funding for projects intended to increase the number of primary care physicians practicing in rural and medically underserved communities in Arkansas. Those projects include: • Renovation of training facilities for a primary care accelerated medical school track and four-year traditional medical school track at the UAMS Northwest Regional Campus in Fayetteville. • The expansion of point-of-care ultrasound training for medical students with new equipment and fellowship programs for faculty members in six of the eight regional campuses and the Family Medical Clinic in Little Rock. • The Medical Scholars in Public Health Post- baccalaureate Program for Arkansans from socially, economically, or geographically dis- advantaged backgrounds. • Medical student rotations in rural and underserved communities. • Partnership programs from the UAMS Divi- sion for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Arkansas’ historically Black colleges and universities. • Expansion of medical school courses in pri- mary care, behavioral health, and lifestyle medicine in rural and underserved areas. • Workforce mapping for rural primary care physicians — a new program that aims to improve training and care in rural communities. • Upgrades to facilities and simulation equip- ment for the UAMS Simulation Center and the Northwest Regional Campus Simula- tion Center. “These programs provide support for students as they choose residencies and careers in rural and underserved areas of the state,” said Richard Turnage, MD, vice chancellor for UAMS Regional Campuses. “This will help us increase access to primary care and address the specific health issues that affect these communities.” Baptist Health, UAMS Celebrate Opening of NewCancer Clinic in Little Rock; Infusion Center to Open This Fall Baptist Health and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) held a ribbon cut- ting ceremony to commemorate the opening of a new cancer clinic and infusion center on the cam- pus of Baptist Health Medical Center-Little Rock. UAMS Baptist Health Cancer Clinic-Little Rock, in Suite 500 of the Hickingbotham Outpatient Center, manages the full spectrum of options for cancer patients such as prescribing the appropri- ate chemotherapy and leading a multidisciplinary approach to address all of a cancer patient’s health needs. A 32-bay infusion center is also set to open in the Hickingbotham Outpatient Center this Sep- tember. Services will include therapies for both cancer and non-cancerous conditions. Additionally, the infusion center will have a blend of patient treatment areas to accommo- date specific needs (open pods versus isolation/ private) and eventually an embedded urgent care clinic specifically designed for cancer patients. The clinic, at 9500 Kanis Road in Little Rock, is open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mercy Arkansas Sleep Centers Offer Inspire Sleep Apnea Treatment For patients who qualify, Mercy Northwest Arkansas and Mercy Fort Smith now offer the Inspire sleep apnea treatment, an alternative to CPAP that uses an implanted device to pro- vide stimulation that helps open the airway dur- ing sleep. Several surgical steps are involved in implant- ing the Inspire device, including an endoscopic procedure beforehand and an outpatient oper- ation requiring incisions in the jaw and chest. A stimulator goes on the nerve to the tongue, while an Oreo-cookie-sized device is placed in the patient’s chest. The devices are activated through a computer mouse-like mechanism. When a patient goes into sleep apnea, the Baptist Health and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) held a ribbon cutting ceremony to commemorate the opening of a new cancer clinic and infusion center on the campus of Baptist Health Medical Center-Little Rock.