Future Plans

As we plan for the future, AHEC Program priorities are:

• Improve access to primary health care in underserved rural communities by increasing the number of rural training sites, supporting related goals of the colleges, bringing telemedicine and tele-education to rural areas, and promoting recruitment of rural minority students into health careers.

• Enhance information delivery systems to provide comprehensive professional support for health practitioners through interactive video links, timely and topical continuing education offerings, upgraded library holdings and resources, links to the Internet, electronic medical records, and information systems in clinical practice.

• Establish centers of excellence in aging in each AHEC with linkages to the UAMS Donald W. Reynolds Center on Aging, and expand our affiliation with the Veterans Administration.

• Expand interdisciplinary educational experiences for students and residents.

• Increase participation of minorities, especially African American students from Arkansas, in AHEC undergraduate and graduate training programs, to help build a pool of primary health care providers who are equipped for rural practice and reflect the State’s ethnic and demographic composition.

• Strengthen partnerships with other health care providers by expanding collaborative relationships with Community and Migrant Health Centers and other health care organizations, supporting implementation of UAMS-affiliated managed care programs statewide.

• Improve the delivery of effective health care by expanding research programs, and enhancing research skills and resources.

• Sustain and expand the AHECs’ capacity to meet demands for clinical and educational programs by securing ongoing funding for activities initiated with grant funds, meeting increased faculty and space requirements, developing additional rural training opportunities, providing faculty development, and securing support for a growing program database.

• Contribute to national and state health policy and an improved health care delivery system through continued participation in national and state forums and work groups, and pursue opportunities and potential roles in implementing health care legislation at the state, regional, and community levels.

• Support and participate in UAMS programs sponsoring international faculty exchanges.

Technical Support

If you are experiencing technical problems with any of the Regional Program sites, or see an error, please contact our support center at 1-800-547-8680. Please record any error messages with the name of the page, date you saw the error, and a description of the error and  to us.