UAMS Centers on Aging
A program of the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging
In 2001, the UAMS Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging created the Arkansas Aging Initiative, known as the Centers on Aging. The Centers on Aging established seven centers across the state using $1.3 to $2 million dollars annually from the state’s portion of the Master Tobacco Settlement. The Centers on Aging mission seeks to improve the health outcomes of older Arkansans through interdisciplinary clinical care and innovative educational programs offered to senior adults in the communities. This mission allows the Centers to provide older Arkansans with local access to specialized educational programs. An additional focus of the program is to influence health policy at the state and national levels with an emphasis on the needs of rural older adults.
The regionalized educational programs include continuing educational offerings in geriatrics for healthcare professionals, opportunities for students in the healthcare disciplines, programs for older adults, their families and their communities.
Statewide UAMS Centers on Aging
- Center on Aging-Northeast – Jonesboro, AR
- West Central Center on Aging – Fort Smith, AR
- Delta Center on Aging – Helena, AR
- Texarkana Regional Center on Aging – Texarkana, AR
- South Central Center on Aging – Pine Bluff, AR
- South Arkansas Center on Aging – El Dorado, AR
In 2009, the UAMS Centers on Aging program received a grant from the Reynolds Foundation funding the replication of the Schmieding Home Caregiver Training Program. The Caregiver Training Program educates individuals to care for older adults in the home using the Schmieding curriculum and method. The program is designed to help meet the need for quality trained caregivers for the aging community. There are two programs offered through the SHCT which includes Family Caregiver Workshops and paraprofessional training for home health aides, CNAs and other nursing assistants.
Centers on Aging Administration
Amy Leigh Overton-McCoy, Ph.D., GNP-BC, RN, Director of the Centers on Aging
Mark Herbst, B.S., Program Manager Centers on Aging
Allison Streepey, B.S., CRS, CLP, Business Manager Centers on Aging