Mountain Home, AR. – On May 13, 2024, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Secretary Hugh McDonald, and Director of Arkansas Workforce Connection Cody Waits announced more than $20 million in training grants to colleges to grow nursing programs. The Arkansas Linking Industry to Growing Nurses (ALIGN) Program, and the Arkansas Office of Skills Development (OSD) awarded $20.4 million to 19 Arkansas two to four-year colleges and universities.
One of the colleges awarded is Arkansas State University Mountain Home. They received $625,175 to expand their simulation lab experiences by standardizing nursing clinical practices. They aim to increase the LPN and RN nursing admission capacity at ASUMH, continuously recruit and retain clinical nurse educators, and decrease the time required for graduates to integrate into hospital operations. Baxter Health was partnered into the grant meaning students that sign up to be future Baxter Health nurses will be supported by scholarships and additional funding to help with personal expenses by Baxter Health.
To achieve the goals of their new program, ASUMH will hire a Clinical Nursing Educator to oversee all aspects of the LPN and RN pre-residency programs who will be housed at Baxter Health, and a Clinical Nursing Coordinator to oversee the clinical scheduling, recruitment, and retention of clinical nursing instructors, White Coat Program, and student nursing education for the apprenticeship program.
The grant also provides additional simulation equipment for use on the ASUMH campus and Baxter Heath. Baxter Health was provided an Apollo Manikin, Aria Manikin, Learning Space Technology – Medical Trainer. ASUMH was provided a Laerdal SimBaby, Laerdal SimJunior, and Nursing Kelly Manikin.
| ALIGN Funding Awards | |
| Applicant | Award Amount |
| Arkansas State University | $2,598,396.00 |
| ASU – Mountain Home | $625,175.00 |
| Arkansas Tech University | $327,208.00 |
| Baptist Health Foundation | $1,944,608.00 |
| Henderson State University | $761,200.00 |
| Jefferson Hospital Association | $420,800.00 |
| John Brown University | $328,250.00 |
| NorthWest Arkansas Community College | $2,110,901.58 |
| Ouachita Baptist University | $487,000.00 |
| Philander Smith University | $396,857.13 |
| University of Arkansas Eleanor Mann School of Nursing | $1,198,353.00
|
| University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville (UACCB) | $368,614.26
|
| University of Arkansas Community College at Morrilton (UACCM) | $2,024,546.00
|
| University of Arkansas – Fort Smith | $2,033,375.00 |
| University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Nursing | $969,200.00 |
| University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences | $1,679,566.07 |
| University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff | $1,004,000.00 |
| University of Arkansas Rich Mountain | $645,850.00 |
| University of Central Arkansas School of Nursing | $476,100.00 |
| TOTAL | $20,400,000.04 |
