The University of Arkansas Hope-Texarkana Foundation was recently awarded a Blue and You Foundation Grant for $ 40, 450.00. The funds were used to install an ambulance simulator in the EMT/Paramedic classroom on the U of A Texarkana Campus. The ambulance simulator is a scaled replica of an ambulance that allows students to obtain hands-on experience right in the classroom. This gives the student the opportunity to test their knowledge and skills under different medical scenarios that can be simulated using a simulation “manikin” as the patient.
The ambulance simulator project was recently inspected by Blue and You Foundation Executive Director Patrick O’Sullivan. Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield established the Blue & You Foundation in 2001 as a charitable foundation to promote better health in Arkansas. The Blue & You Foundation awards grants annually to non-profit or governmental organizations and programs that positively affect the health of Arkansans. In its 14 years of operation, the Blue & You Foundation has awarded nearly $24 million to 766 health improvement programs in Arkansas.