By Chris Carmody
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in 2023 celebrated the 50th anniversary of its Regional Campuses, a network that has provided high-quality education and health care in rural and underserved communities throughout the state.
UAMS Regional Campuses, originally known as the Arkansas Area Health Education Center (AHEC) program, were founded in 1973 to encourage UAMS medical school graduates to remain in Arkansas, as well as to help address the state’s shortage and uneven distribution of primary care physicians.
AHEC programs began to take root across the nation after a 1970 report from the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education outlined the urgent need to address a nationwide shortage of health professionals. With the support of then-Gov. Dale Bumpers, UAMS leaders and health professionals, the Arkansas General Assembly appropriated $1 million to establish the state’s program.
