Arkansas Health Care Association to open nursing program in Fort Smith

The Arkansas Health Care Association said it will expand its nursing school program to Fort Smith later this year, offering a 10-month course designed for working health-care employees to earn a licensed practical nurse credential.

The program will enroll 26 students in Fort Smith and joins existing training in Rogers, Little Rock and Jonesboro, the broadcast reported. Students are nominated by their current employers and will continue working while attending the program.

The station noted the first graduating class completed the program in April and that program leaders said the expansion aims to address a growing need for licensed practical nurses in the state as the population ages.

Organizers did not provide tuition or funding details in the segment; the report presented the expansion as a workforce-development measure without mention of formal approvals or state grants.