NYITCOM-Arkansas Receives $1.25 Million to Support Physician Training in Mississippi County

Blytheville native Ted “Teddy” Huffman and his wife Cheryl announced a $1.25 million gift that will support the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University’s (NYITCOM-Arkansas) efforts to create a new family medicine residency program in Mississippi County.

The Huffmans’ gift is the largest single donation NYITCOM-Arkansas has received since its founding in 2016. It will support the medical school’s joint effort with local healthcare partners to create additional physician training opportunities in rural Arkansas. The announcement was made at a special event on November 4 at Great River Medical Center (GRMC) in Blytheville, where the new program will be based.

“Blytheville is where I grew up and supporting its future matters deeply to me,” Ted said. “Cheryl and I want this gift to help more families receive care close to home and give physicians an opportunity to build their careers here.”

NYITCOM-Arkansas will use a portion of the funds to remodel a clinic space at GRMC. The clinic will serve as the home of the family medicine residency program the medical school plans to open next year. The space will be named the Cheryl and Teddy Huffman Family Medicine Residency Clinic in recognition of their support.

“Ted and Cheryl Huffman have turned a deep personal connection to Blytheville into a lasting investment in the future of healthcare across the Mississippi Delta,” said Jerry Balentine, D.O., president of New York Institute of Technology. “Their extraordinary generosity will help us expand access to care, strengthen the rural physician workforce, and create new opportunities for physicians to train and build their careers in communities where they are needed most. On behalf of everyone at New York Institute of Technology, I am deeply grateful to the Huffmans for their leadership and for showing what is possible when a university, a community, and committed partners share a vision.”

Ted Huffman grew up in Blytheville before settling in the New York area after college and service in the U.S. Navy. He is now the senior managing director and chief strategy officer at Pretium, an investment management company based in Manhattan. Cheryl Huffman is an attorney with experience in securities, mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures.

Following the completion of medical school, physicians are required to complete specialty training before they become licensed to practice on their own. Statistics show that a majority of physicians practice close to where they attend residency. That emphasizes the importance of opening new programs in places like Mississippi County, where there are currently just eight full-time family medicine physicians.

“What drew us to this effort is the opportunity to meet an immediate need while building something lasting,” Cheryl said. “We hope our support encourages others to help advance the program’s initiatives.”

The Huffmans’ gift marks another milestone in a collaborative effort to improve access to healthcare in an area of the state with significant needs. The initiative has brought together various public and private sector stakeholders, and the gift complements public investment in the residency program.

A $3 million grant from Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders through the state’s Rural Health Transformation Program will help support startup costs, and separate grants the MCHS received this summer will fund infrastructure improvements at GRMC.

In August 2025, NYITCOM-Arkansas and the MCHS signed a Memorandum of Understanding to officially enter a partnership through which the institutions would work together to develop initiatives aimed at creating a physician workforce pipeline, providing health education resources, and improving access to healthcare in Northeast Arkansas.

St. Bernards Healthcare entered into a management agreement with the hospital system in January 2026 to help stabilize and expand healthcare services in the region. Its involvement has helped move the residency project forward.

“An undertaking of this magnitude requires collaboration between a number of forward-thinking organizations and individuals,” said Shane Speights, D.O., dean of NYITCOM-Arkansas. “We are so grateful to all who have joined this effort, particularly the Huffmans for being the first private donors. We are truly humbled by their support.”

NYITCOM’s Mississippi County efforts have also attracted the interest of a world-renowned architect who will lead the renovation work at the hospital. During the announcement, Marlon Blackwell of Blackwell Architects, LLC, presented renderings of the redesigned space.

“Architecture has the capacity to change the trajectory of our daily lives, reaching beyond utility to lift our spirits and nurture our well-being,” Blackwell said. “NYITCOM’s residency program and the Huffmans’ generosity will help expand much-needed access to medical care in Mississippi County. We are proud to join in the work at the Medical Center and harness the potential of the Delta. Our ambition is to make that promise tangible in an architecture that lifts the spirit and affirms the dignity of every person.”

The physician residency initiative comes as Mississippi County’s industrial growth increases the importance of reliable local healthcare. The program is intended to help meet that need by bringing physician training and patient care together in the community.

“The thriving industries in Mississippi County have made it the ideal region for infrastructure investment, and we are excited to come alongside the community’s leaders to help provide a vital piece that is needed for continued growth,” Speights said. “This initiative aligns perfectly with the mission we embarked on when we created our medical school. Like many areas of Arkansas, Mississippi County has great needs but also significant opportunity. Our work is just beginning, but with the support of so many passionate organizations and individuals, we’re confident the impact will be substantial.”

By Casey Pearce