UAMS Mobile Health Units now feature internet access

LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Institute for Community Health Innovation is expanding health care access with Arkansas’ first-ever statewide mobile health connectivity project, which equips each mobile unit with wireless network access using SD-WAN technology to enhance reliability, security and performance in remote rural areas.
With all four mobile health units now fully connected to the internet, communities that have struggled to access care in the past can now receive real-time digital health visits, on-the-spot screenings and better coordinated care — all without leaving their hometowns. To see where our mobile health units will be next, visit comunityhealth.uams.edu.
“This breakthrough means faster services, stronger support and greater reach for those who need it most,” said Denton Thompson, a nurse project manager at the institute. “We’re making health care more accessible than ever.”

For rural Arkansans, this advancement is more than just a stronger internet signal. It means fewer long drives to the doctor, quicker diagnoses and the ability to manage chronic conditions close to home. Providers can now access electronic health records instantly, ensuring patients receive the care they need without unnecessary delays.
In a state where nearly half the population lives in rural areas, health care access has long been a challenge. Many Arkansans live miles from the nearest clinic or hospital, and for those without reliable transportation, even routine checkups can be difficult to schedule. Limited broadband access has also made digital health difficult to implement in the communities that need it most. These gaps in care have contributed to some of the highest rates of chronic disease in the country, including diabetes and heart disease. This new mobile health connectivity project is another step in breaking those barriers down.
UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and eight institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute, Institute for Digital Health & Innovation and the Institute for Community Health Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,485 students, 915 medical residents and fellows, and seven dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 11,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube or Instagram.