College of Education and Health Professions Visits Southwest Arkansas on WE CARE-A-VAN Tour

The College of Education and Health Professions set out on its second WE CARE-A-VAN tour in mid-March, traveling along the verdant countryside to the southwest corner of Arkansas.

Twenty-two faculty, staff and administrators joined Dean Kate Mamiseishvili on the two-day spring 2024 tour with stops in Hope, Texarkana, De Queen and Mena.

On Thursday morning, March 14, the caravan of cars followed a scenic route to the University of Arkansas Community College at Hope-Texarkana (UAHT). The UAHT leadership team, including Chancellor Christine Holt, offered a warm welcome. Over lunch, Holt shared about UAHT’s history and growth. The college has 1,300 students across three campuses in Hempstead County. She also shared about several new initiatives, including UAHT’s Collegiate Academy, which allows high school students to earn a two-year degree, so they have two diplomas on graduation day.

In turn, Mamiseishvili offered details about the college’s WE CARE-A-VAN tours, which allow the college to serve Arkansas better. The tours were among various key actions that came from the college’s WE CARE strategic plan.

“We believe that access to quality education and healthcare is a fundamental right and the foundation for each person’s success and every community’s well-being,” Mamiseishvili told the group, noting that the tours help build new partnerships, strengthen relationships and care for communities across the state. “Care is the identity we embrace in the college.”

After lunch, the two teams broke into small groups to discuss collaborative health, education and development opportunities and best practices.

A contingent also traveled to Hope Public Schools’ district office to visit with Superintendent Jonathan Crossley and other school leaders, including Marilyn Marks, principal of Hope Academy of Public Service; Ashlea Stewart, principal of William Jefferson Clinton Primary; and Laura Gray, the district’s English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) coordinator. Gray is an alumna of the College of Education and Health Professions’ IMPACT Arkansas Principal Fellowship, an innovative program that trains future leaders for high-poverty schools throughout Arkansas.

That evening, the caravanners couldn’t resist a quick visit to “photographer’s island” on their way to a reception with area city officials, school leaders, alumni and staff from various outreach programs for a reception. One of Texarkana’s unique features is having the only U.S. Post Office sitting in two separate states. The team snapped photos outside the working post office and federal courthouse while officially standing in Arkansas and Texas.

The reception was just a few blocks away at Verona restaurant, located in Texarkana’s historic downtown, which has seen robust revitalization in the past several years. The event was well attended, and guests included the Arkansas mayor, city manager, Chamber of Commerce representatives, school officials and administrators, medical professionals, alumni and more.

“It’s just a pleasure to have you here. Come on back,” Texarkana, Arkansas, Mayor Allen Brown said in remarks during the reception. “We just keep growing and growing.”

Mamiseishvili told the crowd that she couldn’t wait to return home and add push pins to the WE CARE-A-VAN-focused map of Arkansas in her office. She assured guests that she didn’t just want to tour the state for the sake of it. “Serving Arkansas is the centerpiece of our strategic plan,” she said.

The reception buzzed with meaningful conversations, including plans for future collaborations and reminiscing.

On Friday, the gang traveled to De Queen to tour the Sevier County Medical Center, which opened its doors a month after COVID-19 shut-downs started. CEO Lori House, an alumna from the College of Education and Health Professions’ Human Resource Development program, and hospital board member Steve Cole gave a tour of the impressive facility. They shared about the hospital’s various services, which are vital to De Queen residents and those in surrounding areas. In its first year, the facility saw more than 13,000 patients. In addition to emergency services, the medical center houses imaging/radiology services, various therapy services, speech therapy, advanced wound care, a heart clinic and more. The facility also has two helipads next to a wooded area featuring a walking trail for hospital staff, patients and the public.

Following the hospital tour, the WE CARE-A-VAN cruised approximately eight minutes to the University of Arkansas Cossatot Community College. Cole, also the longtime chancellor of UA Cossatot, welcomed the crew and presented details about the history, mission and students at the community college. The team visited with various faculty and staff who work in health and education programs at Cossatot, brainstorming about future connections and collaborations.

After the Cossatot visit, most members of the Fayetteville team traveled back to the Hill. Mamiseishvili and several others made their way to Mena to visit the University of Arkansas Rich Mountain. Chancellor Phillip Wilson was a student in one of the first courses Mamiseishvili taught as a higher education faculty member at the U of A. Vice Chancellor for Academics Krystal Thrailkill is also a graduate of the higher education doctoral program at the U of A.

Mamiseishvili said the entire two-day trip was phenomenal.

“We had such a wonderful visit,” she said. “The company was great, and we had so many wonderful conversations. I’m excited about all the new connections and plans that directly resulted from visiting these various Arkansas cities. I’m thrilled to see our WE CARE-A-VAN map populating with more push pins.”

The first WE CARE-A-VAN tour was in the fall of 2023. The college plans to visit schools, clinics, alumni and other stakeholders across the state in the spring and fall going forward.

About the College of Education and Health Professions: The College of Education and Health Professions’ six departments prepare students for a range of careers in education and health. In addition to its longstanding role of preparing educators and educational leaders, the college trains nurses, speech-language pathologists, public health specialists, recreation and sports professionals, counselors, occupational therapists, athletic trainers, and exercise scientists.