LITTLE ROCK — The South Central Telehealth Resource Center at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) is opening five satellite training centers in Arkansas and Tennessee.
Part of the UAMS Institute for Digital Health & Innovation, the South Central Telehealth Resource Center will use evidenced-based best practices to train health care professionals in the delivery of digital health services at four sites in Arkansas and one in Tennessee:
- UAMS Northwest Regional Campus – Fayetteville
- UAMS East Regional Campus – Helena-West Helena
- University of Tennessee Health Science Center – Memphis, Tennessee
- Arkansas Rural Health Partnership – Lake Village
- Jefferson Regional Medical Center School of Nursing – Pine Bluff
The satellite sites – and the South Central Telehealth Resource Center housed at the UAMS institute – are funded by a two-year grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and a one-year grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration.
Totaling more than $1.8 million, the two grants were awarded to expand and enhance digital health services nationwide and in rural communities.
“Through technology and innovation, UAMS has the opportunity to train more health care professionals who will provide our communities with quality health through digital health care across multiple states,” said Joseph Sanford, M.D., director of the institute.
Hari Eswaran, Ph.D., director of the South Central Telehealth Resource Center, will oversee the launch of the new satellite training centers, which will support the integration of digital health in educational and health care settings through in-person and virtual training.
“The satellite centers serve as a location where people can get training in digital health for all levels, ranging from high school students to clinicians,” said Eswaran, who is also the institute’s director of research.
“As we continue to integrate health care and technology to care for patients, the South Central Telehealth Resource Center allows us to develop more professionals who can deliver care through digital health and ultimately reduce barriers in accessing quality health care in our three-state region,” said Eswaran.
With satellite training centers opening on four educational campuses, the South Central Telehealth Resource Center will have direct access to train future health care professionals. The training centers are equipped with remote patient monitoring devices and digital health tools and resources.
“The Satellite Telehealth Training Centers will give students, faculty and partnering clinicians a centralized location to learn more about digital health,” said Sarah Rhoads, Ph.D., DNP, professor in the College of Nursing at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. “We are excited to partner with the South Central Telehealth Resource Center to provide telehealth technical assistance in our satellite training center equipped with a large selection of digital software and hardware.”
The South Center Telehealth Resource Center will also focus heavily on eliminating health disparities in the Arkansas Delta.
“Jefferson Regional School of Nursing is pleased to collaborate with UAMS to provide educational opportunities for southeast Arkansas,” said Michelle Newton, MSN, RN, director of the Jefferson Medical Center School of Nursing. “Our nursing students will have the opportunity to actively engage in community digital health that will significantly benefit their respective communities.”
The South Central Telehealth Resource Center serves rural communities in Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee and is part of the National Consortium of Telehealth Resource Centers. The consortium is comprised of 12 regional and two national telehealth resource centers.
For more information about the South Central Telehealth Resource Center, visit LearnTelehealth.org.
