UAMS’ HCOP Academy Prepares Teens for College, Careers in Healthcare | UAMS News
Skip to main content
View Larger ImageStudents from the HCOP Academy work to resuscitate a manikin during an exercise at the UAMS Simulation Center.Image by Chris Carmody
UAMS’ HCOP Academy Prepares Teens for College, Careers in Healthcare
By Chris Carmody
July 10, 2026
| Twenty-three high school graduates recently concluded a four-week summer session in the Arkansas Delta Health Careers Opportunity Program (HCOP) Academy, a University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) initiative that supports students from the Arkansas Delta and South Arkansas as they pursue careers in healthcare
The HCOP Academy, organized by UAMS Academic Pathways and Workforce Partnerships, equips students with the skills they’ll need to gain admission to and succeed in health professional programs
The teens’ journey through the program began last year with a six-week residential academy at Southern Arkansas University (SAU) in Magnolia, where they received an introduction to a variety of health careers that are in high demand across the state. This year, they returned to SAU for a monthlong Summer Bridge Academy designed to ease their transition to college and allow them to further explore the healthcare field
The students’ June 10 visit to UAMS included a demonstration of how medications are compounded.Image by Chris Carmody
Ahead of the HCOP Academy’s July 2 closing ceremony, Shanea Nelson, Ph.D., executive director of UAMS Academic Pathways and Workforce Partnerships, described the importance of expanding the healthcare workforce in the students’ hometowns. The program serves a 20-county area that faces persistent shortages of doctors, nurses, and many other health professions, she said
“We’re celebrating not only what these scholars have accomplished over the past several weeks, but also the bright future they represent for Arkansas’ rural and medically underserved communities,” she said. “We are proud to invest in students who are committed to returning as compassionate leaders and improving the health of the communities they call home.”
After learning some of the basics of healthcare during last year’s session, the students embraced the opportunity to test their knowledge and skills this year. The Summer Bridge Academy featured simulations of clinical and emergency situations, including a scenario in which they assessed and treated a patient who was having a heart attack. The UAMS Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health led an epidemiology simulation involving a disease outbreak on a cruise ship, with the students learning how to gather data and identify trends.
The students also made a pair of trips to the UAMS campus in Little Rock. On June 10, they toured the UAMS College of Pharmacy and watched a demonstration of how medications are compounded. Later in the day, they visited the UAMS Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and met with Billy Thomas, M.D., professor and neonatologist in the UAMS College of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics
Geralyn Jackson, a Fordyce High School graduate, plans to attend Henderson State University this fall as a nursing major. Jackson hopes to one day attend medical school with the goal of becoming a neonatologist, and she said the NICU tour was a highlight of her experience with the HCOP Academy
HCOP Academy students and organizers are shown with Billy Thomas, M.D., professor and neonatologist in the UAMS College of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics.Image by Chris Carmody
“It was so helpful for me to see the NICU and have a chance to talk to Dr. Thomas about the career path that I’m interested in,” she said
The students returned to UAMS on June 30 for a series of hands-on activities in the UAMS Simulation Center. They performed CPR, trauma care, and airway management on training manikins and learned how every health professional is an integral part of a patient’s care team
The visit included a panel discussion with UAMS students, who gave advice on topics such as study habits, the importance of professionalism, and how to overcome academic challenges
Yolanda Carman, M.Ed., program manager for the HCOP Academy, said the program offers a meaningful experience that focuses on college readiness, healthcare exploration, leadership, and personal growth
“Throughout the program, scholars strengthened their confidence, professionalism, and understanding of the responsibilities that come with entering college and preparing for careers in healthcare,” she said
Lanee Bailey, a Crossett High School graduate, said the HCOP Academy has been an important stop on her career pathway. As the oldest of six children, she grew up as a caretaker and dreamed of becoming a pediatric nurse, she said. As she explored her career options last summer, she realized that she felt particularly passionate about serving as a nurse in a NICU or labor-and-delivery unit
“In my first summer with HCOP, I learned a lot about what I want to do and where I want to be,” said Bailey, who plans to major in nursing at Arkansas Tech University in Russellville
Students take part in an activity during the Summer Bridge Academy at Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia.Image by Yolanda Carman
During her senior year of high school, Bailey sought to acquire the skills she’ll need in her future career. She enrolled in an EMT training program, and she is now working to get her license as a certified nursing assistant
“HCOP opened doors for me that I didn’t know were available,” she said. “It’s something that has helped me to better my education and better myself.”
Students in the program are pursuing careers in healthcare disciplines such as nursing, obstetrics and gynecology, physical therapy, psychology, and research. As they take the next steps in their education, they’ll continue to benefit from the connections they’ve formed over the past two summers, Jackson said
“I love the HCOP program, and I love how we’ve become a family,” she said. “We’re all focused on healthcare and on getting our careers together. Being in a place where everyone has the same goal, it’s a very good feeling.”
