Arkansas § 6-5-802 - Intent — Findings.

§ 6-5-802. Intent — Findings.

This subchapter is intended to ensure academic success and completion of medical, pharmacy, and nursing school by an increasing number of minority students. The General Assembly finds that: The healthcare workforce and its ability to deliver quality care for all, including racial and ethnic minorities, can be improved substantially by increasing the proportion of underrepresented United States racial and ethnic minorities among health professionals; Nationally, African-Americans, Native Americans, Mexican Americans, and mainland Puerto Ricans make up twenty-five percent (25%) of the United States population. However, racial and ethnic minority students make up less than eight percent (8%) of practicing physicians and less than five percent (5%) of medical, pharmacy, and nursing school faculties; Summer enrichment programs have proven to aid in the recruitment and retention of students and faculty in all colleges on the campus of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences; Statistics concerning practicing physicians are as follows: Practicing physicians in Arkansas, seven thousand eight hundred eighty-nine (7,889); Practicing African-American physicians in Arkansas, one hundred fifty (150) or one and nine-tenths percent (1.9%) of Arkansas practicing physicians; An Arkansas majority physician-to-patient ratio of one (1) majority physician to five hundred seventy (570) persons; An Arkansas minority physician-to-patient ratio of one (1) physician to three thousand one hundred twenty-five (3,125) persons; A national physician-to-patient ratio of one (1) physician to five hundred twenty (520) persons; and Most minority physicians practice in underserved areas; and It is necessary for the public health and welfare of Arkansas to create the Health Care Student Summer Enrichment Program for Underrepresented Student Populations Act.