$10 million federal grant for UAMS for COVID-19 outreach

Little Rock, Arkansas — $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is given to The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences to fund COVID-19 outreach efforts across Arkansas.

According to UAMS, it will use the grant to mobilize and deploy community health workers, patient navigators, and social support specialists to “the most vulnerable and medically underserved” communities across the state, including racial and ethnic minority groups.

The grant will be used to educate communities about the vaccine, help people access resources, assist individuals in making a vaccine appointment, and assist individuals with transportation or other needs to get to vaccine appointments.

“This funding will allow UAMS to expand both our community health worker collaborative and our service area into more rural areas. It will also allow us to engage with new target populations to remove structural barriers to COVID-19 vaccinations in culturally and linguistically appropriate ways,” said Pearl McElfish, Ph.D., director of the UAMS Office of Community Health and Research.

The HHS grant, is part of $66.5 million in American Rescue Plan funding to eight grantees to expand outreach efforts in 38 states and the District of Columbia to increase COVID-19 vaccine confidence and vaccinations.