The Arkansas Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program was founded in 1973, through combined efforts of the Governor, the State Legislature, and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), as the primary educational outreach effort of UAMS and the principal means of decentralizing medical and other health professions education throughout the state.

Seven teaching centers in El Dorado, Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Helena, Jonesboro, Pine Bluff, and Texarkana serve as training sites for students in the fields of medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and various allied health professions, as well as for residents specializing in family medicine. An eighth center is under development in Batesville and Mountain Home. The AHEC training approach emphasizes primary care, which covers general health education and basic medical care for the whole family.

Each AHEC extends its programs into a multiple county service area making programs and services accessible to more potential students and rural providers. Quality training experiences in community settings away from the academic medical center expose students and residents to practice opportunities and realities in underserved rural communities, helping to encourage rural practice choices. The teaching ambience that results, as well as AHEC library services and continuing education offerings, all serve to enhance the professional environments and support systems in participating communities, and aid in provider retention.