Arkansas college teams up with medical facility

SEARCY, AR (KAIT) -An Arkansas college has teamed up with a health group to provide opportunities for their students.

According to an article in Talk Business & Politics, a new partnership has been formed between the Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine and Searcy-based Unity Health.

This collaboration will not only provide graduates the opportunity to participate in residency programs but provide training opportunities for the school’s current students.

Dr. Tony Little, associate dean for graduate medical education, said third- and fourth-year medical students are required to complete rotations in a medical facility.

This partnership will let students complete that requirement with Unity Health.

President and CEO of the Arkansas College of Health Education Kyle Parker said their goal is to provide students with the best medical education and training possible.

“Becoming Unity Health’s academic affiliate reinforces ARCOM’s commitment to graduate medical education,” Parker said. “Our goal has been to develop and support residency training programs within institutions where resident physicians receive outstanding training. We believe this partnership with Unity Health is a major step in meeting this goal.”

Unity Health provides healthcare to eight counties and has more than 2,300 employees, including more than 150 physicians specializing in different areas of health.

Institutional official for Ray Montgomery Graduate Medical Education Department at Unity Health Dewey McAfee said this is an opportunity to provide more medical assistance in Arkansas.

“The partnership with ARCOM helps us to focus on our communities,” McAfee said. “While we know that not all of our residents will remain in Arkansas after residency, affiliating with an Arkansas medical school is an additional way we can work to provide additional physicians for our state. We are very excited about this partnership.”

Medical students begin their residency programs after they graduate from medical school.

ARCOM will become Unity Health’s medical partner on July 1.

ARCOM will provide shared services for Unity Health’s family medicine, internal medicine, psychiatry and emergency medicine residency programs.