Fouke students to have access to on-campus medical clinic

FOUKE — Students going back to school in Fouke this year will have the convenience of a medical clinic on campus.

The clinic, a partnership between the school district and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Texarkana, will provide medical and mental health services.

In 2019, Fouke School District received a $500,000 grant from the Arkansas Department of Education to start the clinic.

The clinic is operating, and services include well child visits, acute care services, sports physicals and Medicare wellness, according to UAMS. The clinic will also serve adults in the community.

Dr. Matthew Nix will be the clinic’s primary provider, according to information from UAMS. Nix is a native of Texarkana and a graduate of Arkansas High School. After attending medical school in Little Rock, he returned to the area to continue his medical career.

He has served as medical director of UAMS Family Medical Center-Texarkana since 2014 and associate program director for the UAMS Family Medicine Resident Program-Southwest since 2019.

Jim Buie, Fouke School District superintendent, said in a previous interview with the Texarkana Gazette that the clinic will help the entire community.

“This is huge for our community because there are no medical services in Fouke,” he said.

Four other schools in Arkansas were awarded grants for clinics. There are 31 other schools in the state that have school-based health centers, according to an Arkansas Department of Education news release.

“There is a clear, distinct connection between good health and academic achievement,” Arkansas Department of Education Commissioner Johnny Key said in the release.