- University News Archive - 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock /news-archive/tag/arkansas-blue-cross-and-blue-shield/ 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Thu, 28 Oct 2021 15:42:10 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Honors Hosto, Carter as Distinguished Business Alumni /news-archive/2021/10/28/distinguished-business-alumni/ Thu, 28 Oct 2021 15:42:10 +0000 /news/?p=80281 ... 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Honors Hosto, Carter as Distinguished Business Alumni]]> Bryan Hosto, an attorney with Hosto & Buchan, has been named the Distinguished Alumnus of the Year for the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock School of Business, while Carl Carter, director of vendor integration for Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, will receive the Dean鈥檚 Award for Excellence. They received their awards Oct. 29 during the School of Business Distinguished Alumni Luncheon at the Little Rock Marriott. The Distinguished Alumni Award, the highest honor granted by the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock School of Business, is given to a graduate who has made a significant impact in business or a nonprofit organization and has served the Little Rock community and 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. Hosto is a 1985 graduate of 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing, where he served as commander of Sigma Nu Fraternity. He also earned a J.D. from the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law. After co-founding Intellinet, LLC, Arkansas鈥檚 first internet service provider, in 1994, Hosto was named to Arkansas Business鈥檚 鈥40 Under 40鈥 list in 1995. He also co-founded Hosto & Buchan Law Firm, which grew to 150 employees with practices in six states. The firm has won many awards for performance including the National Creditors Bar Association Community Service Award in 2012 for the firm鈥檚 dedication to philanthropy and community involvement. As a business advisor, investor and board member, Hosto is a founder of the Arkansas Angel Alliance, which promotes angel capital startup Investing as a much-needed resource for creating jobs and growing new businesses in Arkansas. His service to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock includes serving as president of the Alumni Association and serving as a member of the Foundation Fund Board. In 2001, Hosto was honored as 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 Presidents Award recipient. Throughout his career, Hosto has volunteered with worthy philanthropic organizations, including serving as president of the Arkansas Board of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund and the Arkansas Chairman of the Hugh O鈥橞rian Youth Leadership Foundation. He also served as president of the Arkansas Board of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, where he granted wishes of children with life threatening illnesses, and then served several years on the Make-A-Wish Mid-South Board, covering Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi. The Dean鈥檚 Award for Excellence is granted to a graduate of the past 10 years who has shown promise as a leader in business or nonprofit work and who is actively involved in serving Little Rock and the university. Carter is a two-time graduate of 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management in 2011 and a Master of Business Administration in 2014. He also holds a Master of Public Service from the 糖心Vlog传媒-Clinton School of Public Service. Carter began his career at Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield in 1998, providing a diverse career spanning from claims to strategic account management. Additionally, he is the founder of the Beverly Carter Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving agent safety. The nonprofit is named after Carter鈥檚 mother, Beverly Carter, who lost her life at the hands of two clients in 2014.]]> Blue & You Foundation Awards 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock $605,000 Gift for Master of Social Work Students /news-archive/2021/07/28/blue-you-foundation-social-work/ Wed, 28 Jul 2021 20:51:20 +0000 /news/?p=79463 ... Blue & You Foundation Awards 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock $605,000 Gift for Master of Social Work Students]]> The endowment will help address the growing behavioral health crisis in Arkansas by increasing the number of behavioral health professionals serving the state鈥檚 communities and training these specialists to practice in primary care settings. 鈥淭he Blue & You Foundation endowment supports the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock School of Social Work in their development of a program component that will train our graduates to specialize in this critical area of health care while providing financial support during their education,鈥 said Dr. Stephen Kapp, director of the Master of Social Work Program at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock. 鈥淚n the end, this program builds the capacity to improve both mental and physical health outcomes in Arkansas.鈥 The funding is part of $5.29 million in grants for behavioral health programs in Arkansas that the Blue & You Foundation announced July 16. The grants focus on eight Arkansas programs led by six established organizations that will address the growing behavioral health crisis in the state. The Blue & You Foundation is a charitable foundation established and funded by Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield to promote better health in Arkansas. 鈥淲e believe that addressing the behavioral healthcare needs of our state requires collaboration with local organizations that have demonstrated success in increasing access, improving outcomes and reducing stigma,鈥 said Curtis Barnett, president and CEO of Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield. 鈥淲e recognize the impact behavioral health can have on the health of individuals, families, and communities as a whole. With these investments, we can help create healthier communities and give hope to those in need, while normalizing the conversation around behavioral health.鈥 The Blue & You Integrated Behavioral Health in Primary Care Practice Endowment will provide stipends to students in the Master of Social Work Program who are working under the supervision of licensed social workers in primary care physician offices in the state. In turn, these funds will support the education of future social workers while they develop skill sets that would enhance the capacity of primary care physicians to provide meaningful physical and mental health treatment to Arkansans. “We are so grateful to the Blue & You Foundation for supporting our communities by addressing behavioral health head on with this meaningful endowment,鈥 said Michael Johnson, director of development and external relations for the College of Business, Health, and Human Services. 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock is one of three universities in Arkansas, along with Arkansas State University and the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, to receive grants of $500,000 from the Blue & You Foundation to create endowments to directly support students in Master of Social Work Programs. The additional $105,000 will support start-up and administrative costs for 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock鈥檚 Master of Social Work Program. 鈥淔rom the onset of our research and discovery process, we knew that we鈥檇 be more successful in achieving our goal to improve behavioral healthcare in Arkansas by finding established and proven programs within the Natural State,鈥 said Rebecca Pittillo, executive director of the Blue & You Foundation. 鈥淎s we engaged with organizations across the state, I was amazed at the innovative approaches to challenging issues and the tremendous results already achieved. The programs led by the grant recipients announced today will go a long way in helping provide immediate and long-term support for Arkansans in need.鈥 In Arkansas, the issue of behavioral health conditions is particularly serious. The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that incidents of suicide, along with symptoms of anxiety and depression, are prevalent in Arkansas at rates higher than the national average. There is also an unmet need for behavioral healthcare in the state with 65.7 percent of adolescents reported having not received treatment for a major depressive episode, also significantly higher than the national average. 鈥淢ental health issues are a growing concern in the U.S.,鈥 Kapp said. 鈥淧eople generally do not seek treatment at a mental health clinic or a therapist, this concern shows up in routine exams with their primary care physicians. Integrated Behavioral Health programs allow social workers in medical practices to treat this condition which not only leads to better mental health but it also minimizes the interference of poor mental health on overall physical health outcomes.鈥 In the upper right photo, representatives from the Blue & You Foundation and 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock celebrate the announcement of a new endowment for social work students at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock.听From left, Curtis Barnett, president and CEO of Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Christian O’Neal, vice chancellor for university advancement, Dr. Ann Bain, 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock executive vice chancellor and provost, Rebecca Pittillo, executive director of Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas, Chancellor Christina Drale, Stephen Kapp, director of 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Master of Social Work Program, Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Michael Johnson, director of development and external relations, and Dr. Shannon Collier-Tenison, 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock interim dean of the College of Business, Health, and Human Services. Photo by Ben Krain.  ]]> 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Professional Development Center Provides Continuing Education Training for Healthcare Professionals /news-archive/2021/05/05/professional-development-center-nursing/ Wed, 05 May 2021 19:27:17 +0000 /news/?p=78945 ... 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Professional Development Center Provides Continuing Education Training for Healthcare Professionals]]> The University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Nursing has launched the Professional Development Center (PDC) to provide continuing education opportunities for nursing students, healthcare professionals, and emergency response professionals.听 The Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas, which is funded by Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, awarded the 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock School of Nursing a $68,357 grant in January 2020 that provided the seed money for the Professional Development Center. 鈥淚n 2019, Dr. Sloan Davidson took over the chair position for the school. She had a vision to offer continuing education to the nursing population after they graduated 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock,鈥 said Dr. Anita Joyce Simmons, assistant professor of nursing and coordinator of the Professional Development Center.听听 The center鈥檚 mission is to provide state of the art, expert educational content delivered in multiple formats to meet the needs of healthcare professionals while fostering evidence-based practice for their patients. 鈥淣ursing is a lifelong learning process. You never learn everything you need to know in nursing school,鈥 Simmons said. 鈥淭he most important thing you learn is that if you don鈥檛 know something, or have never performed a procedure, you must ask for guidance. This gap in knowledge is where the Professional Development Center鈥檚 educational modules fill in. We also have one of the largest schools in the state for graduating RNs which makes this need even more applicable .鈥 Over the past year, a team from IT Services and the School of Business have collaborated with the School of Nursing to promote and facilitate the continuing education platform.听听 The field of healthcare and medicine is constantly evolving through advancements in research and technology. Education is vital to evidence-based care and positive patient outcomes. The courses provide continuing education credits that healthcare professionals need to licensure.
Members of the Blue & You Foundation and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock celebrate a grant to build a new continuing education center in the Department of Nursing. Photo by Brad Sims.

Members of the Blue & You Foundation and 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock celebrate a grant to build the School of Nursing Professional Development Center in 2020. Photo by Brad Sims.

鈥淓vidence shows that patients鈥 mortality rates improve when they are cared for by nurses with higher education,鈥 Simmons said. 鈥淐ontinuing education courses for nurses can also affect the quality of care and patient outcomes by providing necessary opportunities to improve practice skills and knowledge.鈥 The 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock School of Nursing is in the early process of receiving accreditation for the PDC from the American Association of Colleges of Nurses (ANCC). The ANCC is the accrediting body for Schools of Nursing and continuing education. The Professional Development Center also works in conjunction with the School of Nursing鈥檚 Center for Simulation Innovation, where they can participate in a simulation to learn new skills to complement the knowledge learned through the continuing education courses.听 鈥淎s the center grows, more varied online education formats will be offered, including virtual reality and hybrid courses with simulation activities,鈥 Simmons said. 鈥淚nterdisciplinary collaboration and negotiations with local community business partners are in plans.鈥 The Center for Professional Development website went live in January with several continuing education courses that are free until the end of the year. Some of the continuing education courses available on the PDC鈥檚 website cover dementia, consumer health informatics, self-care for nursing students, and a series on leadership and management. 鈥淣urses characteristically are passionate about providing quality care, and have an insatiable thirst for knowledge. They thrive on learning something new,鈥 Simmons said. 鈥淥ur goal is to help keep those educational flames burning, even for those nurses working full time, in remote areas, or outside of Arkansas.鈥]]> Blue & You Foundation grants $68k to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock to create continuing education program /news-archive/2020/01/22/blue-you-foundation-grant/ Wed, 22 Jan 2020 14:59:17 +0000 /news/?p=76023 ... Blue & You Foundation grants $68k to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock to create continuing education program]]> The Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas presented the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a $68,357 grant to support continuing education for healthcare professionals.听 The grant will allow 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock to launch and maintain a nationally approved continuing education program to provide continuing education opportunities for nursing students, healthcare professionals, and emergency response professionals.听 鈥淭he grant will benefit our students, current and future nurses, and other healthcare professionals, such as paramedics, by offering AACN continuing education opportunities right here at 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock,鈥 said Dr. Elizabeth Sloan Davidson, chair of the Department of Nursing. The 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Department of Nursing will use the funds to receive certification from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) for the continuing education program and to hire a part-time nurse planner to administer and maintain the program.听 鈥淲ith our state-of-the-art simulation center, made possible in part by earlier funding from the Blue & You Foundation, we are in a prime position to offer unique opportunities for hands-on application of new skills that will then provide a safer and even better quality healthcare experience for Arkansans,鈥 Sloan Davidson said. 鈥淥ur students can graduate already having skills and credentials that will give them a step-up in job readiness. We are grateful for this opportunity.鈥 Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield established the Blue & You Foundation in 2001. Since then, it has awarded more than $36 million to nonprofits and governmental agencies for 1,922 health-improvement programs in the state. 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock was one of 39 initiatives out of more than 260 applications funded through the foundation鈥檚 2020 grant awards. 鈥淲e had a record-high number of applications this year. The 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock application stood out, and that is why it was chosen,鈥 said Patrick O鈥橲ullivan, executive director of the Blue & You Foundation. 鈥淲e appreciate everything you are doing to help keep Arkansans healthy and to build our medical workforce. We know how very important that is.鈥 This is the sixth grant 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock has received from the Blue & You Foundation, totaling more than $375,000. Some of the previous grants have funded nursing equipment that will be used in the continuing education classes, including pediatric simulation models and mannequins that nursing students use to simulate human patients. 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock plans to begin offering continuing education classes in July.
Members of the Blue & You Foundation and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock celebrate a grant to build a new continuing education center in the Department of Nursing. Photo by Brad Sims.

Members of the Blue & You Foundation and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock celebrate a grant to build a new continuing education center in the Department of Nursing. Photo by Brad Sims.

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