UAFS receives federal funds to improve maternal, infant outcomes

The University of Arkansas–Fort Smith will receive $15 million in federal funding for a new Center for Mother and Infant Healthcare.
The center will feature advanced simulation labs to train students and clinicians for high-risk obstetric and pediatric emergencies.
In addition to training professionals, the facility will offer programs to help expectant parents prepare for labor and delivery.
This project aims to address Arkansas’s high maternal and infant mortality rates, which are among the worst in the nation.

The University of Arkansas–Fort Smith is set to receive $15 million in federal funding to build and equip a Center for Mother and Infant Healthcare, a project aimed at improving maternal and infant outcomes in one of the hardest-hit states in the nation.

The funding was approved as part of key federal FY2026 appropriations bills and was secured by U.S. Sen. John Boozman. The allocation will support the construction of advanced simulation labs and learning spaces on the ground floor of a new facility at UAFS, marking the first phase of a broader Center for Health Innovation planned for the campus.

“This funding will help make important strides to strengthen critical aspects of maternal and infant care through the development of the Center for Mother and Infant Healthcare at UAFS,” Boozman said. “Bolstering the delivery of these services in the River Valley will reduce preterm births, save lives and improve health outcomes.”

UAFS Chancellor Terisa Riley said the investment will directly strengthen healthcare education in western Arkansas.

“This facility will provide us with a meaningful place to educate our students and create an informed community of healthcare providers in the River Valley,” Riley said.

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Training for high-risk, real-world scenarios

The $15 million allocation will allow UAFS to construct and equip approximately 16,300 square feet on the ground floor of a two-story building. The space will include high-fidelity simulation laboratories that replicate routine and complex obstetric and pediatric emergencies.

Through advanced manikins and immersive scenarios, students and practicing clinicians will train for events such as postpartum hemorrhage, neonatal resuscitation, hypertensive crises, shoulder dystocia and pediatric emergencies, situations that are often difficult to encounter during traditional clinical rotations but critical to patient safety.

“These simulation labs allow students to experience high-risk maternal and newborn emergencies in a controlled, realistic environment before they encounter them in the hospital,” said Dr. Paula Julian, executive director of the UAFS School of Nursing. “This repeated, hands-on exposure builds clinical judgment, confidence and rapid decision-making so graduates are prepared to save lives at the bedside.”

The center also will emphasize interdisciplinary training, allowing future nurses, physicians and social workers to collaborate in settings that mirror real hospital environments.

Education hub for the region

Plans for the center include a 250-seat, theater-style lecture hall designed to support interdisciplinary education and professional development. UAFS anticipates hosting classes, workshops, conferences and collaborative simulations in the space while partnering with regional healthcare providers, including Mercy, Baptist Health and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

An 80-seat seminar room, divisible into smaller classrooms or breakout spaces, will support flexible instruction ranging from faculty-led courses to small-group training sessions.

University leaders say the combination of simulation training and classroom instruction will support lifelong learning for healthcare professionals across the River Valley.

Opening the doors to families

Beyond training healthcare providers, the Center for Mother and Infant Healthcare will include a public-access program designed to help expectant parents better understand labor, delivery and postpartum care.

Through a “fear-free delivery” initiative, families will be able to observe simulated birth experiences, ask questions of healthcare professionals and become familiar with procedures they may encounter during a hospital delivery.

“As a mother who gave birth to four babies in less than three years, including a set of twins, I know how different each birthing experience can be,” Riley said. “It is natural for mothers and their partners to have fears and many unanswered questions. We hope this program will help alleviate both.”

Responding to a statewide emergency

University leaders say the project’s urgency is clear. Arkansas has the highest maternal mortality rate in the United States, with 92.2 pregnancy-associated deaths per 100,000 live births between 2018 and 2020, according to the Arkansas Maternal Mortality Review Committee. The report found that 92% of pregnancy-related deaths in the state were potentially preventable.

Infant outcomes also are among the worst in the nation. Arkansas has the third-highest infant mortality rate in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The new center is designed as a direct response to these trends, improving training, coordination and preparedness among healthcare providers serving rural and underserved communities.

A larger vision for healthcare education

The maternal and infant healthcare center will serve as the foundation of UAFS’s larger Center for Health Innovation, a nearly $30 million project envisioned as a regional hub for healthcare education and workforce development.

A $9.9 million gift from the Windgate Foundation already has enabled UAFS to double the size of its nursing program, increasing demand for modern instructional space.

Once fully funded, the two-story Center for Health Innovation would include additional simulation labs for multiple healthcare disciplines, conference and training spaces, extended-reality labs, collaboration areas and faculty offices.

UAFS plans to move forward with construction using the $15 million federal allocation while continuing to seek additional philanthropic and institutional partners.

“Maternal health is a critical issue that impacts thousands of families across the River Valley each year,” said Blake Rickman, UAFS executive vice chancellor of advancement. “As a regional public university, UAFS is deeply focused on being part of the solution.”

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