News

Blue and You Foundation Awards $20,000 to UA-PTC

The University of Arkansas – Pulaski Technical College Foundation (UA-PTCF) has received a $20,000 grant from Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas, according to UA-PTCF Executive Director Shannon Boshears. Patrick O’Sullivan, Executive Director of the Blue & You Foundation, said UA - Pulaski Tech was one of 40 organizations in the state that received one of the health-improvement grants for 2018.

The grant funding will be used to support the transfer of two academic programs at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences to UA - Pulaski Tech. Dr. Jeanne Williams, UA-PTC Dean of Allied Health and Human Services, said the Paramedic and EMT Programs, currently courses at UAMS, will be added to the curriculum at UA - Pulaski Tech by the Spring 2019 semester. “The physical move from the medical center will involve renovation of classrooms in the UA - Pulaski Tech Allied Health Building and the relocation of the program’s Rescue Simulation Ambulance Simulator,” she said. “Moving the simulator is an expensive process – only one professional in the region is qualified (within warranty guidelines) to break down, relocate and re-install this equipment. The simulator provides an experience that is close to training in an actual ambulance. It is a vital teaching tool.”

The skilled care that individuals receive in emergencies can reduce hospitalization and rehabilitation expense for patients and insurance companies, as well. With a population of 3,000,000, emergency responders in Arkansas are stretched thin – roughly one per 429 citizens. Emergency medical professionals are needed throughout the state, particularly in the more rural areas where there is no physician or hospital. “Blue & You Foundation is pleased to assist Arkansas in adding more EMTs and paramedics to its workforce,” O’Sullivan commented. “Our goal is to improve the health of Arkansans and creating more educational opportunities that lead to better care is a critical part of the process.”

“We are very pleased with the continued support we have received from Blue & You Foundation,” Boshears said. “Through the years, UA - Pulaski Tech has been awarded more than $150,000 in funding from Blue & You Foundation. We are extremely grateful for the Foundation’s confidence in our programs.”