Members of the Little Rock business community have rallied behind Arkansas Baptist College to see it through another financial challenge.
Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield on Monday announced that it’s awarding Arkansas Baptist College $100,000 over the next five years to support nursing students.
Graduates of the historically Black college with a two-year degree in interdisciplinary studies have a preferred acceptance tract to Baptist Health College Little Rock, where they can continue their education and become nurses.
The announcement comes amid a statewide shortage of nurses and other health workers, many of whom have quit because of burnout during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the pool of nurses has gotten smaller, competition between hospitals has increased. To attract nurses, UAMS Medical Center last year more than doubled their signing bonus from $12,000 to $25,000.
“Many hospitals across the state are experiencing serious shortages in nurses, which is not a new problem in Arkansas, but one that has greatly accelerated during the pandemic,” Arkansas Blue Cross President and CEO Curtis Barnett said in a news release. “Out of concern for the health and well-being of our members, our organization is continuously looking for ways we can contribute to the improvement of care delivery. We believe our investment in Arkansas Baptist College will enhance the college’s mission to offer more students the opportunity to earn their nursing degrees, which will help address a critical staffing issue in our state.”
Arkansas Baptist College President Carlos Clark said in the release that the funds will help reduce student debt, the top obstacle many minority students face.
“Our mission at Arkansas Baptist College is to produce productive citizens,” Clark said. “We can think of no other career path more productive than nursing. The pandemic has not only shown a spotlight on the critical need for healthcare professionals, but the need to diversify their ranks as well.”
This story has been updated to clarify the path the nursing offered by Arkansas Baptist College.
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