Thank you for your interest in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
The UAMS Northwest Regional Campus was established in 2007 to meet the growing demand for health care professionals and to support the rapid growth in the northwest Arkansas region. Northwest Arkansas is a collection of vibrant and rapidly expanding communities, and the need for physicians, nurses, pharmacists, therapists, and other health care providers will continue to grow with our region’s population.
As part of our three missions (education, clinical, and research), in 2012, we founded the Office of Community Health and Research, which works to reduce health disparities and increase access to chronic disease prevention and management services in northwest Arkansas. In 2015, we founded the Center for Pacific Islander Health, the first center in the United States that focuses solely on Pacific Islander health issues through research, community programs, training, and policy.
Since that time, we have been awarded more than $50 million in federal and private foundation grants for investment in community health in northwest Arkansas, including funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. We have also published hundreds of peer-reviewed articles.
Much of our research focuses on reducing health disparities within Pacific Islander and Latinx communities. We also conduct food systems research and methodological research related to the best methods for conducting community-based participatory research and for disseminating research results to participants and communities.
Our team at the UAMS Northwest Regional Campus works diligently to identify and understand health needs through research and programs, and strives to create an environment where every person has access to their best health. We hope you will consider joining us on this journey.
Best Regards,
Dr. Pearl McElfish, Ph.D.
Division Director
UAMS Office of Community Health and Research