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UTA Launches Center to Improve Health Care in Rural Texas

UTA
University of Texas at Arlington | Image by Philip Lange

In a move to advance health care in rural Texas, the University of Texas at Arlington has launched a new education and training center.

The Center for Rural Health and Nursing is a project aimed at improving rural nursing education as well as the health of rural residents.

According to a UTA news release, the center is funded by a $4 million Texas legislative appropriation. It will be operated by the University of Texas’ College of Nursing and Health Innovation.

The UTA’s center aims to address the numerous health disparities faced by rural Americans by developing a model for providing nursing education to rural residents. This way, the trained students can become registered nurses and nurse practitioners in their communities.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), rural Americans are more likely to die from cancer, stroke, heart disease, respiratory disease, and unintentional injury than their urban counterparts. People who live in rural communities also face a greater risk of health issues due to factors such as lower rates of physical activity, higher rates of smoking, and less accessible health insurance.

Rural Americans also have reduced access to quality health care, per the CDC, in part due to a shortage of healthcare providers.

The manager of the new Center for Rural Health and Nursing, Aspen Drude, said in the release that the center aims to “support existing providers and recruit young people from rural populations to become nurses in their communities.”

State Senator Kelly Hancock expressed confidence in the project, saying he believes in “the university’s ability, through its new Center for Rural Health and Nursing, to bring its nationally recognized nursing education and training programs to improve both nursing education and health outcomes in our state’s rural communities.”

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