FAYETTEVILLE -- The Alice L. Walton Foundation and two area medical systems are contributing a combined $3 million to expand a nurse anesthetist program at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest Regional Campus in Fayetteville.

The Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist program at UAMS Northwest is starting this fall, according to a Monday news release from UAMS.

Certified registered nurse anesthetists, also known as CRNAs, provide cost-effective, high-quality anesthesia care, often serving as providers in rural hospitals, critical access facilities and surgical centers, the release states.

The demand for CRNAs in Northwest Arkansas is projected to grow significantly over the next decade due to population growth, aging demographics and increasing health care needs, ac

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