First National Bank of Fort Smith the first partner in ACHE Adopt a Scholar program

by Tina Alvey Dale ([email protected]) 354 views 

(from left) Arkansas Colleges of Health Education CEO Kyle Parker visits with Sam Sicard, First National Bank of Fort Smith president and CEO, during the Adopt a Scholar announcement event. (photo courtesy of ACHE)

The Arkansas Colleges of Health Education (ACHE) has launched a new Adopt a Scholar program, an innovative $100,000 recruiting scholarship initiative designed to attract top-tier talent to the Arkansas College of Osteopathic Medicine (ARCOM).

First National Bank of Fort Smith is the inaugural Adopt a Scholar partner, according to a news release from ACHE. Adopt a Scholar ensures ACHE remains at the forefront of student recruiting in this highly competitive field.

“First National Bank of Fort Smith is grateful to have the opportunity to financially support ACHE students from the local Fort Smith region who aspire to be primary care physicians. This is not just an investment in these students; it’s an investment in the future healthcare of families in the communities we serve,” said Sam Sicard, First National Bank of Fort Smith president and CEO, and member of the ACHE Board of Advocates.

The $100,000 recruitment scholarship will help cover four years of tuition for incoming ARCOM students from Western Arkansas or Eastern Oklahoma, helping to alleviate financial burdens for qualified students.

The scholarship is designed to help cover a significant portion of the annual tuition cost for an incoming ARCOM student or students at the start of their four-year educational journey, said Jarred Rego, ACHE director of advancement. If the student(s) remain in a status of Good Standing for academics and conduct, they will retain the scholarship benefit throughout their four years at ARCOM, he said.

“This scholarship has the potential to benefit not only ARCOM students but also future ACHE Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy students from within our region. Together, we can build a brighter future for healthcare in our communities,” Rego said.

The scholarship does not represent a full scholarship, but it will represent a substantial benefit to the student(s) who receive it, and the target for the program is to support two to four students a year, Rego said.

ACHE is seeking other partners to participate in the Adopt a Scholar program and to contribute to the ACHE Scholarship Endowment, which was established in 2021. The Adopt A Scholar program is $100,000 pledged out over four years. The program is designed to make sure ACHE remains competitive in attracting top talent, Rego said.

“It also serves to help ensure that our region benefits from a robust, continuing pipeline of skilled, caring, and compassionate physicians,” Rego said.

There is one other donor committed to support the incoming ARCOM class in the fall of 2025, and they will be announced in the near future, he said.