AMHC Provides Funding to Benefit Underserved, Uninsured
LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas Minority Health Commission (AMHC) awarded funding to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in the total amount of $121,000 that will directly benefit targeted areas of the state’s underserved and uninsured residents.
The money is being distributed in five roughly equal amounts through UAMS:
- The UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute’s Cancer Control Breast Cancer Education and Navigation Program will receive $24,000 for breast cancer education and personalized, professional assistance for women in underserved areas who need screenings and follow-up care.. To learn more about enrolling in the program, contact Kim Enoch at 296-1504 Ext. 1869.
- The UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute’s Cancer Control Prostate Cancer Patient Education, Screening and Navigation Program has received $24,999 to recruit and screen 320 men in Jefferson and Phillips counties. Patients who need follow-up care will receive professional assistance supported by the funding.. To learn more about participating in the program, contact Dale Gray at 800-259-8794.
- The UAMS Area Health Education Center (AHEC) Northeast in Jonesboro has received $24,999 to help guide more minority students toward medical careers. The AHEC, in partnership with the Arkansas Minority Health Commission, will hold three one-day workshops for area high school and college students who may be interested in a medical career. The workshops, to be held at St. Bernards Medical Center in Jonesboro, Arkansas State University in Jonesboro and UAMS, will show students the wide variety of health professions available and the academic requirements for each profession. The workshops also are designed to increase students’ knowledge of minority health issues. To learn more about enrolling in the program, contact Sandra Lusby at 870-219-7083.
- The UAMS AHEC Southwest in Texarkana has received a six-month $22,265 contract to enhance its DeQueen-based Minority Health Clinic and establish a Chronic Care Model to address diabetes, hypertension and obesity in a primarily Hispanic community. The program is designed to better meet residents’ health care needs by improving access to health care education and services and providing professional follow-up care. The program will continue with support from other funding sources.
- The UAMS Regional Programs Community-Based Medical Interpreter Training Partnership program has received $24,850 to increase the number of medical interpreters in Calhoun, Union, Bradley, Ouachita, Hot Springs, Lafayette, Hempstead and Desha counties. The year-long program is expected to train 15 interpreters and establish a referral service for doctors in those counties who need trained interpreters.
The Arkansas Minority Health Commission was created in 1991 by the Arkansas Legislature to address health care disparities within the state. The 12-member commission works to assure that all minority Arkansans have access to health care that is equal to the care provided to others and to address, treat and prevent diseases and conditions that are prevalent among minority populations. The mission statement focuses on four areas of responsibility:
- Study issues relating to the delivery of and access to health services to minorities in the state.
- Identify any gaps in the health service delivery system that particularly affect minorities.
- Make recommendations to the relevant agencies and to the legislature for improving the delivery of and access to the health services for minorities.
- Study and make recommendations as to whether services are available to insure future minority health needs will be met.
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