§ 19-12-114 — Establishment and administration of the Targeted State Needs Program

(a) The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences is hereby instructed to establish the Targeted State Needs Programs described in this section, and to administer such programs in accordance with law. (b) The targeted state needs programs to be established are as follows: (1) College of Public Health of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; (2) Area Health Education Center (located in Helena); (3) Donald W. Reynolds Center on Aging; and (4) Minority Health Initiative administered by the Minority Health Commission. (c) (1) College of Public Health of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. The College of Public Health of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences is hereby established as a part of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences for the purpose of conducting activities to improve the health and healthcare of the citizens of Arkansas. These activities should include, but not be limited to the following functions: faculty and course offerings in the core areas of public health including health policy and management, epidemiology, biostatistics, health economics, maternal and child health, environmental health, and health and services research; with courses offered both locally and statewide via a variety of distance learning mechanisms. (2) It is intended that the College of Public Health of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences should serve as a resource for the General Assembly, the Governor, state agencies, and communities. Services provided by the College of Public Health of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences should include, but not be limited to the following: consultation and analysis, developing and disseminating programs, obtaining federal and philanthropic grants, conducting research, and other scholarly activities in support of improving the health and healthcare of the citizens of Arkansas. (d) Area Health Education Center. The first Area Health Education Centers were founded in 1973 as the primary educational outreach effort of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. It is the intent of this chapter that the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences establish a new Area Health Education Center to serve the following counties: Crittenden, Phillips, Lee, St. Francis, Chicot, Monroe, and Desha. The new Area health Education Center shall be operated in the same fashion as other facilities in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Area Health Education Center program including training students in the fields of medicine, nursing, pharmacy and various allied health professions, and offering medical residents specializing in family practice. The training shall emphasize primary care, covering general health education and basic medical care for the whole family. The program shall be headquartered in Helena with offices in Lake Village and West Memphis. (e) Donald W. Reynolds Center on Aging. It is the intent of this chapter that the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences establish, in connection with the Donald W. Reynolds Center on Aging and its existing Arkansas Health Education Centers program, healthcare programs around the state offering interdisciplinary educational programs to better equip local healthcare professionals in preventive care, early diagnosis and effective treatment for the elderly population throughout the state. The satellite centers will provide access to dependable healthcare, education, resource and support programs for the most rapidly growing segment of the State's population. Each center's program is to be defined by an assessment of local needs and priorities in consultation with local healthcare professionals. (f) Minority Health Initiative. It is the intent of this chapter that the Arkansas Minority Health Commission establish and administer the Arkansas Minority Health Initiative for screening, monitoring, and treating hypertension, strokes, and other disorders disproportionately critical to minority groups in Arkansas. The program should be designed: (1) to increase awareness of hypertension, strokes, and other disorders disproportionately critical to minorities by utilizing different approaches that include but are not limited to the following: advertisements, distribution of educational materials and providing medications for high risk minority populations; (2) to provide screening or access to screening for hypertension, strokes, and other disorders disproportionately critical to minorities but will also provide this service to any citizen within the state regardless of racial/ethnic group; (3) to develop intervention strategies to decrease hypertension, strokes and other disorders noted above, as well as associated complications, including: educational programs, modification of risk factors by smoking cessation programs, weight loss, promoting healthy lifestyles, and treatment of hypertension with cost-effective, well-tolerated medications, as well as case management for patients in these programs; and (4) to develop and maintain a database that will include: biographical data, screening data, costs, and outcomes. (g) The Arkansas Minority Health Commission will receive quarterly updates on the progress of these programs and make recommendations or changes as necessary. (h) The programs described in this section shall be administered pursuant to a strategic plan encompassing the elements of a mission statement, defined program(s), and program goals with measurable objectives and strategies to be implemented over a specific timeframe. Evaluation of each program shall include performance based measures for accountability which will measure specific health related results. (i) Each of the programs adopted pursuant to this section shall be subject to the monitoring and evaluation procedures described in § 19-12-118 . Init. Meas. 2000, No. 1, § 14.