PINE BLUFF -- Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield presented a $250,000 gift to the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff on Tuesday to create an endowed nursing professorship in rural health.
Diann Williams, chairman of the nursing department at UAPB, will be the first to receive the endowed professorship at the school.
Williams is a registered nurse who obtained a Master of Science degree in nursing from St. Louis University and a bachelor's in nursing from UAPB. She served as interim executive director of the state Board of Nursing in 1995 and was previously vice president for assessment and nursing and allied health at Southeast Arkansas College in Pine Bluff.
Williams, who has been on the job at UAPB since July 1, said she was honored to be a part of the endowment, which will also involve hiring two full-time nursing instructors in the coming years.
"This endowment will afford us the opportunity to help meet the health care challenges in the Delta region by preparing nurses to provide care in this area," she said.
According to a news release from Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, "almost half of Arkansas' population is identified as living in rural areas -- towns with less than 2,500 residents. These communities face special challenges due to limited access, income, transportation and education, as well as an aging population.
UAPB Chancellor Laurence Alexander said the endowment will allow the university "to attract highly sought-after faculty to add to our already strong roster of instructors. We are grateful to Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield for recognizing our university's role in producing qualified nurses for the state of Arkansas."
Alexander added that "there is no person more fitting for this first endowed professorship award than someone of Mrs. Williams' stature and accomplishment."
The news comes at a time when the nursing program at UAPB is rebuilding. In July, the state Board of Nursing granted UAPB initial approval for its pre-licensure program for a Bachelor of Science in nursing.
The Nursing Board had put the university's registered nursing program on probation in 2010, citing three consecutive years of less than 75 percent of graduates passing the licensure test on the first attempt. None of the 17 nursing program seniors in that year was allowed to graduate after they all failed a practice licensure exam required to pass a mandatory course.
By 2013, the UAPB nursing program was shut down after failing to fulfill eight of 21 conditions of an extensive agreement with the Nursing Board.
Now enrollment is open for the coming 2015-16 school year, and prospective students who have completed the prerequisite general-education courses can submit applications.
Students admitted to the pre-licensure program who successfully complete all required course work and program requirements can apply for the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses. Students who pass that test will be licensed to practice as a registered nurse.
State Desk on 08/27/2015