(a)In an effort to address health disparities and the current shortage of nursing professionals in the state, each board of trustees of a publicly supported institution of higher education may establish a program under which additional consideration in admission to the institution and to the nursing or health career program is given to an applicant from a rural, medically underserved area of the state who is interested in pursuing a nursing or other healthcare career in a rural, medically underserved area of the state.
(b)The program for additional consideration under subsection (a) of this section may include, without limitation, the following measures:
(1)Early targeting of potential candidates from rural, medically underserved areas of the state who are interested in nursing and othe
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(a) In an effort to address health disparities and the current shortage of nursing professionals in the state, each board of trustees of a publicly supported institution of higher education may establish a program under which additional consideration in admission to the institution and to the nursing or health career program is given to an applicant from a rural, medically underserved area of the state who is interested in pursuing a nursing or other healthcare career in a rural, medically underserved area of the state. (b) The program for additional consideration under subsection (a) of this section may include, without limitation, the following measures: (1) Early targeting of potential candidates from rural, medically underserved areas of the state who are interested in nursing and other healthcare professions, including junior high school, high school, two-year college, and four-year college students; (2) Recruiting and guiding individuals from rural, medically underserved areas of the state who are interested in pursuing nursing and other healthcare professions in rural, medically underserved areas; (3) Offering programs to prepare identified nursing and other health career candidates from rural, medically underserved areas of the state for meeting admission requirements to a postsecondary nursing program, including, without limitation, preparatory programs offered with the aid of video and distance learning tools; and (4) Providing that individuals from a rural, medically underserved area of the state who are interested in nursing or other healthcare professions receive an equal opportunity for success. (c) Upon request, the Arkansas Higher Education Coordinating Board shall provide assistance to publicly supported institutions of higher education in implementing programs offered under this section. (d) The coordinating board shall report annually to the House Committee on Public Health, Welfare, and Labor and the Senate Committee on Public Health, Welfare, and Labor regarding implementation of this section.