Mission
- Our workforce pipeline programs increase the number of students pursuing careers in health care, especially students in rural and underserved communities.
- Our clinical programs provide high quality primary care and interprofessional primary care training experiences to UAMS students and family medicine residents in settings outside of the university campus in central Arkansas.
- Our regional campuses serve as a platform from which UAMS achieves its educational, research and service missions throughout the state.
Established in 1973 as state-funded Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) by UAMS, the governor, & state Legislature. Rebranded in 2013 as UAMS Regional Campuses.
Resources and Services
Established in 1973 as state-funded Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) by UAMS, the governor, & state Legislature. Rebranded in 2013 as UAMS Regional Campuses.
Locations
- Nine Regional Campuses
- Eight Family Medicine (FM) Residencies with a ninth planned for El Dorado in 2026
Faculty/Staff
- Employs 600 physicians, family medicine residents, advanced practice nurses, pharmacists, behavioral health professionals, nurses & administrative staff
Services
- Health care workforce pipeline education, research and development
- Interdisciplinary primary and specialty medical care (solid organ transplantation, cardiology, HIV care, retinal screening)
- Interprofessional health care education
- Community health research and outreach
Impact
- Over the last 50 years, AHEC/Regional Campuses has received more than $100 million in federal grant funds to expand and support UAMS’ health careers pipeline programs, medical education and family medicine training programs across Arkansas.
- Regional Programs Family Medicine Residencies train 157 residents annually and graduate 55 new physicians each year. To date, UAMS Regional Programs residencies have trained 904 family medicine physicians, 60% of whom practice in Arkansas with one-third practicing in rural Arkansas communities.
- Regional Programs Education Coordinators reach more than 10,000 Arkansas high school and college students annually through a wide variety of programs to encourage and support students into health careers.
- UAMS Regional Campuses facilitate community-based clinical rotations and preceptorships for 300 multidisciplinary students (i.e., medical, pharmacy, PA) annually at dozens ofsites across Arkansas.
- Since 2019, UAMS Regional Campuses has received more than $20 million in federal grant funds specifically dedicated to enhancing primary care medical student education in rural and underserved Arkansas communities. Some of the programs supported by this grant include:
- UAMS Post-Baccalaureate program
- Community immersion rotations for students in rural and medically underserved areas
- Faculty development activities in medical education for community preceptors
- Faculty mentorship programs connecting medical students with primary care physicians
- Honors coursework in primary care in rural and underserved communities
- Point-of-Care Ultrasound training of primary care faculty, trainees and medical students