JUNE 2001

Table of Contents

Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System

This large facility adjacent to the UAMS campus is a flagship health care provider of the Department of Veterans Affairs. It is one of the largest and busiest VA medical centers in the country. Its two hospitals, located in Little Rock and North Little Rock, anchor a broad spectrum of inpatient and outpatient healthcare services, ranging from disease prevention through primary care, to complex surgical procedures, to extended rehabilitative care.

This system is also an important teaching facility for UAMS and other affiliated institutions. Many of the physicians hold joint appointments with the UAMS College of Medicine or other programs, and many UAMS College of Medicine graduates continue part of their graduate medical education as residents at this facility.

With a budget of $200 million and a payroll of more than 3,000 people, the system has an annual workload of more than 450,000 outpatient visits and approximately 8,000 inpatient admissions to the facility.

The system is reaching out to veterans through its Community-Based Outpatient Clinics in Hot Springs, Mountain Home, El Dorado, a drop-in Treatment Center for homeless veterans in downtown Little Rock, and mobile health screening clinics that bring wellness checkups to small towns in Arkansas.

The CAVHS maintains a roster of qualified speakers available to speak on medical topics in presentations to community groups on such topics as:

Stroke Diagnosis and Therapy
Aging and Immunity
Spinal Cord Injury and Repair
Role of Art in the Grieving Process
Tuberculosis Prevention and Control
Cardiac Rehabilitation
Nutrition and Health
Post-traumatic Stress Syndrome.

Vital Links

The Vital Link program is designed by the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce to orient school children entering the seventh grade to real-life experiences in employment. Selected students from local schools visit CAVHS and "shadow" a person on the job. The hands-on learning experience may lead some participants to prepare for a career in the health-care field.

Ciarra Young, a 12-year-old girl assigned to the Adult Day Healthcare Program wrote, "I worked with many different senior citizens. I learned many different things – that you shouldn't avoid senior citizens because they are human beings like me – but older and sick. I learned how to use different exercise machines. I saw how important it is for older people to keep their bodies in shape. I want to thank everyone who helped me learn a lot."

Community Involvement

CAVHS participates in many community events with a health theme, including:

• Arkansas State Fair; providing health screenings and information to fair-goers
• KATV/7 Health and Fitness Expo
• Red Ribbon "Drug Free" essay contest

© 2001 University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Division of Institutional Advancement
4301 W. Markham St., Slot 716
Little Rock, AR 72205
501-686-5685

06/25/01