JUNE 2001

Table of Contents

College of Health Related Professions

The College of Health Related Professions offers 14 academic programs in the "allied health" areas; career tracks that support the health-care enterprise. Persons working in these important support roles may not be in "high profile" positions, but no hospital can be run effectively without them.

Recruiting students into these career possibilities is therefore a challenge, so the college maintains a pro-active outreach program throughout the state. During the 1999-2000 academic year, the college:

• Made 63 visits to two- and four-year college and universities
• Visited 38 high schools statewide
• Presented at five statewide conferences for career/guidance professionals
• Made nine presentations to students enrolled in the M*A*S*H* program
• Participated in the careers outreach program for minority junior high students; each year about 100 of these students visit the UAMS campus for week presented applied science lectures to students at Parkview Magnet High School in Little Rock and coordinated tours of UAMS for this group
• Participated in Career Day activities at four traditionally Black colleges in Arkansas

Dental Hygiene
Dietetics and Nutrition
Radiologic Technology
Respiratory Care

Dental Hygiene

Under faculty supervision, the students of this department performed gratis application of pit and fissure sealants to occlusal surfaces of the teeth of approximately 100 children. Another significant health promotion activity was the provision of free oral health screenings for children enrolled in the Head Start program at various sites throughout the Little Rock metropolitan area. The supervising dentist confirmed carious lesions and other significant dental needs as identified by dental hygiene students, and the children were referred for treatment.

Dietetics and Nutrition

Students in the Dietetic Internship program developed public health experiences in cooperation with Arkansas Cares, Rice Depot, University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, and Kids First. Interns participated in wellness screenings at Arkansas Children's Hospital and the Donald W. Reynolds Center on Aging.

The department has increasingly shifted clinical education experiences for Interns from hospital-based to community-based services where students now complete service projects related to health promotion and disease prevention in Pulaski County and adjacent counties.

Beverly McCabe-Sellers, Ph.D., R.D., provided numerous hours of patient consultation on nutritional issues for the Rural Hospital Network at sites throughout the state using the interactive video network.

Radiologic Technology

The Department of Radiologic Technology is a party to an agreement with Wadley Medical Center of Texarkana (Texas) to provide training for radiologic technologists at the AHEC-Southwest site. Wadley closed its hospital-based radiology program and will rely instead on the department to meet training and continuing education needs for their facility.

Respiratory Care

This department maintains educational programs in Little Rock, Texarkana, and Pine Bluff. The Little Rock program offered three courses entirely over the Internet for practicing professionals throughout the state. Most of the courses at the Little Rock site now have an online component. It provided four continuing education programs through the Rural Hospital Program to rural sites.

Students in both the Little Rock and Texarkana programs have been involved in community service projects, including the Arkansas Lung Association's Open Airway Program – an asthma education/awareness program for teachers and staff at elementary schools. Its purpose is to help them recognize an attack of asthma and to quickly and appropriately assist youngsters experiencing breathing distress.

Texarkana faculty and students sponsored and conducted the annual Respiratory Care Symposium for approximately 100 health-care professionals in the area. Gaylene Mooney, B.A.A.S., implemented an online course in pediatric respiratory care.

© 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