FAYETTEVILLE — A healthcare workforce and technology proposal for Northwest Arkansas led by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences is in the running to receive about $75 million in requested federal funding.
The effort is among 60 finalists from around the nation announced Monday by the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Each finalist receives approximately $500,000 in federal grant money as part of the $1 billion competition known as the Build Back Better Regional Challenge.
The UAMS-led pitch to the U.S. Department of Commerce involves boosting telemedicine, home monitoring and wearable devices in the region through new nursing degree and other training efforts as well as a "regional E-Health simulation center," according to a proposal summary.
Training efforts would focus "on unemployed and underemployed, diverse community members," creating programs with a target enrollment over 10 years of 500 nurses for an "E-Health" bachelor's nursing degree, plus the training of 1,000 others for "jobs in high demand now and in the future."
The plan also calls for increasing the number of residency training slots for new doctors and support for "entrepreneurial health care professionals" in developing new technology.
Partners on the proposal include the Bentonville-based Walton Family Foundation and the Springdale-based Excellerate Foundation, listed as providing a combined $12.9 million in matching funds in support of training efforts to go with the possible large federal grant award. About $12.9 million in state funding would also go to Washington Regional Medical System along with more in federal dollars to boost graduate medical education, according to the proposal.
The federal Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration developed the competitive grant challenge as a part of programs created under federal legislation known as the American Rescue Plan, passed earlier this year to provide coronavirus relief funding.
Finalists move on to the competition's second phase, which has a deadline of March 15, as they seek to be one of among 20-30 regional coalitions named as major grant winners and recipients of up to $100 million in grant awards.
Pearl McElfish, until earlier this year the top administrator for the UAMS Northwest regional campus, is listed as the effort's regional economic competitiveness officer, according to the proposal document.