ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY-NEWPORT

Agency: United States Department of Health and Human Services
NAICS: 541611 - Administrative Management and General Management Consulting Services
Period start: 2026-09-30
Period end: 2029-09-29
Budget: 7700000.0
Place of performance: ARKANSAS, UNITED STATES

Description

ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY-NEWPORT HEALTH SCIENCE CENTER - PROJECT ABSTRACT SUMMARY: ASU-NEWPORT CENTER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES APPLICANT NAME: ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY-NEWPORT (ASUN) PROJECT TITLE: ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY-NEWPORT CENTER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES PROJECT TYPE: CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW FACILITY PROJECT DESCRIPTION: ARKANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY-NEWPORT (ASUN) WILL CONSTRUCT A NEW, STAND-ALONE, 32,232-SQUARE-FOOT HEALTH SCIENCES ACADEMIC FACILITY ON ITS CAMPUS IN NEWPORT, ARKANSAS. THIS PROJECT INVOLVES THE CREATION OF AN INTEGRATED, INTER-PROFESSIONAL CENTER FEATURING HIGH-FIDELITY MEDICAL SIMULATION SUITES (INCLUDING AN OPERATING ROOM AND MATERNITY/PEDIATRIC SIMULATIONS), SPECIALIZED CLINICAL LABORATORIES (NURSING SKILLS, RAD LAB, SURG-TECH, AND PCT), TECHNOLOGY-ENHANCED CLASSROOMS, A TESTING CENTER, AND 17 FACULTY OFFICES. THE SCOPE INCLUDES THE INSTALLATION OF CRITICAL FIXED EQUIPMENT, SUCH AS MEDICAL GAS SYSTEMS AND SPECIALIZED HVAC UNITS REQUIRED FOR CLINICAL TRAINING PURPOSE AND IMPACT: THE PROJECT ADDRESSES ACUTE HEALTHCARE WORKFORCE SHORTAGES IN AN EIGHT-COUNTY FOOTPRINT IN NORTHEAST ARKANSAS, INCLUDING JACKSON, CRAIGHEAD, WHITE, AND INDEPENDENCE COUNTIES. REGIONAL DATA INDICATES A CRITICAL DEMAND FOR 24,739 HEALTHCARE JOBS, WITH OVER 550 MONTHLY JOB POSTINGS—A RATE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE. BY EXPANDING CAPACITY FOR REGISTERED NURSING (RN), LICENSED PRACTICAL NURSING (LPN), AND ALLIED HEALTH PROGRAMS, THIS CENTER WILL SERVE AS A REGIONAL EDUCATION ENGINE, SUPPLYING A QUALIFIED, MERIT-BASED WORKFORCE TO MAJOR MEDICAL HUBS SUCH AS ST. BERNARDS HEALTHCARE, NEA BAPTIST, AND WHITE RIVER HEALTH. ALIGNMENT WITH HRSA MISSION AND STRATEGIC PRIORITIES: THIS PROJECT ALIGNS WITH THE HRSA MISSION BY DIRECTLY IMPROVING ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY CARE FOR MEDICALLY VULNERABLE AND UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS IN THE MISSISSIPPI DELTA REGION. THE FACILITY PRIORITIZES EVIDENCE-BASED HEALTHCARE THROUGH RIGOROUS CLINICAL SIMULATION, ENSURING GRADUATES MEET THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF SAFETY AND CLINICAL OUTCOMES. . FURTHERMORE, THE CENTER SUPPORTS MAKE AMERICA HEALTHY AGAIN (MAHA) OBJECTIVES BY TRAINING FRONTLINE PROFESSIONALS ESSENTIAL FOR THE PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT OF CHRONIC DISEASE IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES TIMELINE AND FUNDING: THE DESIGN PLANNING COMMENCED IF FEBRUARY 2026 WITH A CONCEPTUAL DESIGN AND BUDGET CREATED ON MARCH 12, 2026. CONSTRUCTION WILL BEGIN IN OCTOBER 2026, WITH A PROJECTED COMPLETION DATE OF DECEMBER 31, 2027. THE TOTAL PROJECT COST IS $18,000,000, SUPPORTED BY $13,170,000 IN REQUESTED FEDERAL CPF/CDS GRANT FUNDS (73.2% OF THE TOTAL BUDGET).. ASUN IS AN ELIGIBLE RECIPIENT IDENTIFIED UNDER THE CONSOLIDATED APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2026 (P.L. 119-75)

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