NYITCOM-Arkansas Receives Two Grants for New Residency Program, EMS Training Initiative

Once again, the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University (NYITCOM-Arkansas) was among the awardees of Rural Health Transformation Project (RHTP) grants.

NYITCOM-Arkansas received a $3 million grant that will support a new rural-track family medicine residency program that the Jonesboro-based medical school plans to open next year in Blytheville in partnership with the Mississippi County Hospital System (MCHS) and St. Bernards Healthcare.

Additionally, NYITCOM-Arkansas received approximately $740,000 to expand its existing emergency medical services (EMS) programs and launch four new partner sites across the state.

Both of NYITCOM’s latest grants fall under the Recruitment, Innovation, Skills, and Education (RISE) category for Arkansas Healthcare.

In August, NYITCOM-Arkansas received a $1.5 million grant through the PACT phase to create a maternal and child health initiative focused on Mississippi and Poinsett Counties. NYITCOM-Arkansas’ three RHTP grants total approximately $5.2 million.

“We cannot thank Gov. Sanders and her team enough for recognizing the work we’re doing to impact healthcare and health education in the parts of our state that have the most pressing needs,” says Shane Speights, D.O., site dean of NYITCOM-Arkansas. “We are so grateful to again receive funds that will truly make a difference in health education in Arkansas.”

In August 2025, NYITCOM-Arkansas announced a partnership with the MCHS and, as part of the agreement, the two institutions pledged to work together to pursue new physician pipeline programs. St. Bernards has since stepped in to assume operations of the MCHS and joined the effort to launch a family medicine residency.

NYITCOM has applied for accreditation through the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and hopes to welcome its first class of four physicians to the program next summer. The residency will emphasize managing advanced chronic illnesses with limited local resources, utilizing telemedicine effectively, gaining competence and comfort in obstetric and pediatric care, including operative deliveries, navigating social determinants of health, and working alongside local leaders to influence the health of the community.

According to a report from the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, Mississippi County has only nine full-time family medicine physicians serving the county with approximately 40,000 residents. 

“We’ve been working diligently toward making this program a reality, and the funding we graciously received today marks a significant step in doing so,” says Amanda Deel, D.O., NYITCOM-Arkansas associate dean for graduate medical education, who is leading the initiative. “Data shows that physicians who attend residency in rural areas are much more likely to practice in one, and we’re humbled at the opportunity to train the type of physician our communities need in the communities that need them the most.”

With the EMS-focused grant, the medical school will expand its efforts to address another significant healthcare workforce shortage: ambulance deserts.

A study published in May 2023 found that all 75 counties in Arkansas have at least one ambulance desert, meaning it takes 25 minutes or longer for an ambulance to respond to an emergency call. Arkansas ranks fourth-highest in the country for the percentage of population affected by ambulance deserts.

In 2024, NYITCOM assumed operation of the emergency medical technician (EMT) and paramedic programs previously offered by Arkansas State University. NYITCOM houses those programs primarily in Jonesboro with a satellite program in Cherokee Village. The medical school’s paramedic program is the largest in the state, and participants boast a 90 percent first-time pass rate on their licensing exams, which is well above the national average.

The RISE grant funds will be used to expand NYITCOM’s current program and launch four new EMT and paramedic programs in partnership with two-year institutions throughout the state, including Arkansas Northeastern College in Blytheville, Arkansas State University Three Rivers College in Malvern, South Arkansas Community College in El Dorado, and Black River Technical College in Pocahontas.

NYITCOM will serve as the sponsoring institution for EMT and paramedic programs housed at the local two-year community colleges that recruit students regionally. NYITCOM faculty will deliver the curriculum.

The grant funds will support hiring instructors and cover startup costs for the new programs. The initiative has the support of the Arkansas Ambulance Association. 

“The demand for EMTs and paramedics has never been greater in our state, and we’re fortunate to be in a position to help address the issue,” says Sara Walker, director of the EMS programs at NYITCOM-Arkansas. “The approach we’re taking is the kind of innovative one that is necessary to make an impact, and I’m proud to be involved.”

NYITCOM-Arkansas opened in 2016 through a private-public partnership between New York Institute of Technology on Long Island and Arkansas State University.

The school was created with a focus on training physicians to help address an ever-growing need in Arkansas and the greater Mississippi Delta region. NYITCOM-Arkansas also has a stated mission to lead health outreach and education initiatives to improve health outcomes, which are among the poorest in the nation.

“Our medical school is led by a number of individuals who, like myself, are lifelong Arkansans,” Speights says. “Our mission is personal because we’re working to help impact the people and communities that have raised us. We couldn’t be more thankful for the support Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and her team have given us to continue to expand our efforts.”

By Casey Pearce