The Association of American Medical Colleges website featured UAMS College of Medicine students in an article about the importance of standardized patient programs.

Read more.

Eda Graciela Aguilera Aguscia knows how important a solid education is to success in life. That’s why she’s doing all she can to increase the number of children in Honduras with access to an education.

Aguilera, who operates a school and daycare with her sister, Marcia, in San Pedro Sula, Cortes, spent a few weeks at UAMS Head Start schools in Pulaski County to learn the approaches used in the United States for early childhood development and education. She came to UAMS as a Fellow of the Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) Professional Fellows program. She was hosted by Charles Feild, M.D., retired executive director of the UAMS Head Start program.

The program, sponsored by the U.S. State Department, allows entrepreneurs and leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean to travel to the U.S. to network and learn from their counterparts in America and provide them with the tools and training necessary to make a difference in their communities and countries.

This is the first year UAMS has taken part in the program, said Tyra Larkin, director of UAMS Head Start.

“We were interested because she was from another country and we could make a difference in early childhood in a country that may not have as many resources or strategies related to the growth and development of young children,” said Larkin.

Aguilera’s two weeks in Arkansas allowed her to sit in on board and leadership meetings, ask questions, exchange ideas, visit various UAMS Head Start locations, meet with teachers and work with students. Aguilera met with Head Start area content managers for education and school readiness, disability, health, family engagement and nutrition.

“We tried to show her we’re not just focused on education, we’re focused on the whole child,” said Larkin. “Head Start is a comprehensive model and children have to receive support from many areas to be successful.”

Aguilera’s passion for education and child development was inspired by her mother. In Honduras, a bilingual education in Spanish and English is key to success and opportunity. Her mother made sure Aguilera and her sister went to schools that taught in English and Spanish.

“My mother loves education,” said Aguilera. “She knew how important it was for us.”

Aguilera said many low-income, working families like the one she grew up in, do not enjoy the same opportunity for a bilingual education because of its cost. Her school, Cumorah Daycare and Bilingual School, aims to change that by offering affordable, bilingual instruction to those families.

“Every day on my way to work I see kids on the street asking for money,” said Aguilera. “I’m not better than them. They could be engineers or teachers or anything, but they don’t have the opportunity because they’ve been condemned to poverty. My sister and I decided to start this school to give kids the opportunity to overcome those challenges and give them a chance to achieve happiness.”

Since 2015, Cumorah has provided instruction and care for children from 18 months to 6 years old. The school currently has 17 children in three different levels of preschool and first grade.

Aguilera said her time at UAMS Head Start was transformational.

“Because we lack government funding and are still a very small program, we only focus on education, but it was impactful to see the comprehensive approach at UAMS Head Start,” said Aguilera. “Now, I have the knowledge of how important it is to support these children in more ways than education.”

About 150 members of the public joined McElfish, community leaders, former faculty and other campus leadership in the lobby of the Fayetteville building for the event.

“A lot of you in the audience today – from both on campus and off – played a key role in making this a success,” McElfish said. “Your hard work and collaborative spirit have been vital. As we grow, we look forward to that continued support.”

The timeline is located in the Fayetteville building, near the Regional Campus Conference Room. It starts in 2007 and includes key dates in campus history extending to the present day.

Campus History

In 2007, UAMS made a commitment to academic medicine in northwest Arkansas with the introduction of a regional campus. Peter O. Kohler, M.D., was named vice chancellor and set about building an interprofessional medical education opportunity that also supports the community through research and clinical services.

“We worked hard to get the funding from the state to get started and worked with the county to secure the building,” said Kohler. “It was a big win for us, for the county and the region. We’ve come a long way in that time.”

The UAMS College of Pharmacy appointed Eric Schneider, Pharm.D., associate dean of the Northwest Regional Campus in 2009. Six third-year medical students came to campus that summer, starting their time on campus with a wall-breaking ceremony to acknowledge the major renovations to come. They graduated in May 2011.

Chris Smith, M.D., was appointed the first regional dean for the UAMS College of Medicine that year. The College of Pharmacy also welcomed its first class of third-year students in 2011. The Northwest Regional Campus housed 107 students and 30 postgraduate medical residents at that time.

“The region’s growth really started to take off and lots of amazing things were happening,” said Kohler. “Health care has been coming more into focus as the population rapidly expands.”

In 2012, Bill Buron, Ph.D., R.N.C., was appointed the first assistant dean for the UAMS College of Nursing in the northwest region. The Pat and Willard Walker Student Clinical Education Center, where students simulate patient interactions, opened in 2013.

In 2014, there was a flurry of activity. John Jefferson, Ph.D., began as inaugural director of the Doctor of Physical Therapy program, which was championed by area leaders. The Northwest Regional Campus is the sole home of the UAMS Physical Therapy program. The Outpatient Therapy Clinic, offering physical, occupational and speech therapy services to the public, opened in the fall.

The North Street Clinic opened in late 2014, offering diabetes care to the local Marshallese community. Marshallese have some of the highest rates of diabetes in the world. Almost 200 students have worked in the clinic, learning about effective culturally appropriate patient care.

The first internal medicine residents came to campus in 2015, bringing future medical professionals specializing in comprehensive adult primary care to the area. Inaugural doctor of physical therapy students arrived on campus that year as well. In late 2015, McElfish and Nia Aitaoto, Ph.D., M.P.H., founded the Center for Pacific Islander Health on campus to focus on health studies within the underrepresented population. It is the first in the continental United States to do so.

Sheldon Riklon, M.D., one of two practicing Marshallese physicians in the country, joined the staff and was invested as the first Peter O. Kohler, M.D., Distinguished Professorship in Health Disparities in 2016. At the end of that year, McElfish was appointed associate vice chancellor of the Northwest Regional Campus, succeeding Kohler.

The Future

“As Dr. Kohler said, we have come a long way since those early days,” said McElfish, who succeeded Kohler as associate vice chancellor upon his retirement at the end of 2016. “We have graduated 336, we opened the student-led North Street Clinic, and we launched the Department of Physical Therapy.”

According to the Northwest Arkansas Council, 27 people have moved to the region each day since 2010.

“We are uniquely poised to advance northwest Arkansas through community-based health care and by developing the next generation of leaders in the field,” said McElfish.

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UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; hospital; northwest Arkansas regional campus; statewide network of regional centers; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Myeloma Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging and Translational Research Institute. It is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 2,834 students, 822 medical residents and six dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses throughout the state, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.

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For the UAMS College of Medicine’s Sharanda Williams, giving back is a way of life. So it’s no surprise that on the Nov. 10 UAMS holiday in observance of Veterans Day, the college’s director of academic affairs was cheerfully serving veterans.

“I have been given so much,” Ms. Williams said as she worked with other members of the UAMS Veterans Awareness Committee to set up for an appreciation luncheon for veterans in transitional housing at St. Francis House Ministries in Little Rock. “To whom much is given, much is required,” she said. “I take that very seriously.”

“Sharanda is one of the most generous and selfless people I have ever known,” said Richard P. Wheeler, M.D., executive associate dean for academic affairs. “She is involved in many worthwhile causes and gives her all to each one.”

Williams’ husband, Reggie, is a U.S. Army veteran, and their son, Jordan, is in Army basic training. The couple have volunteered in UAMS veterans-awareness activities as well as other UAMS and community initiatives for many years.

The luncheon for veterans was one of the culminating events of the UAMS Veterans Awareness Committee’s annual initiative. With contributions from faculty and staff across campus, the committee presented care packages to veteran patients at UAMS and long-term care patients at the Eugene Towbin Veterans Affairs Hospital at Fort Roots in North Little Rock as well as the veterans at St. Francis House.

UAMS staff and faculty are generous with their time and resources year round – and the spirit of giving back is especially clear as the holidays approach.

Another recent group initiative was a chili fundraiser on campus organized by the Office of Sponsored Programs Administrative Network (OSPAN). The office was raising money to purchase holiday gifts for children in a Head Start classroom. The college’s Department of Pediatrics administers 10 Head Start sites in Pulaski County that serve 760 children ages 3-5 and four Early Head Start sites serving nearly 130 infants and toddlers.

Several organizations on campus “adopt” classrooms each year. OSPAN raised about $575 at the Oct. 30 chili fundraiser and was gearing up for a pre-Thanksgiving bake sale of cakes, pies and other goodies on Nov. 21.

Promising research by Erin Mannen, Ph.D., into the use of baby carriers as a break from the cumbersome orthopaedic devices used for babies with hip dysplasia is being featured on the website of the International Hip Dysplasia Institute (IHDI).

Mannen, an assistant professor in the UAMS College of Medicine Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, is conducting biomechanics research into “babywearing” with a $31,722 grant from Boba Inc., and a $10,160 grant from the IHDI.

“It is hypothesized that wearing an infant inward facing in a structured baby carrier results in similar muscle activity and hip positioning as the orthopaedic devices currently used to treat babies with hip dysplasia,” Mannen said. “Appropriate babywearing has the potential to offer parents of hip dysplasia patients a ‘break’ from the cumbersome orthopaedic devices, allowing them to experience the many benefits of babywearing while not endangering their baby’s hips.”

Mannen is looking for healthy babies from two to six months old for the study. For more information, please contact her at emannen@uams.edu.

Jerad Gardner, M.D., associate professor in the departments of Pathology and Dermatology, has become a social media firestorm by teaching, collaborating and connecting with doctors, nurses, medical students and patients around the globe. National Public Radio featured Dr. Gardner in a report about pathology and social media.

Read the story from NPR.

LITTLE ROCK — University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences’ (UAMS) Curtis Lowery Jr., M.D., on Nov. 6 was honored for his work in maternal-fetal medicine with the Effective Practice Award from the Maternal and Child Health Section of the American Public Health Association.

The Effective Practice Award recognizes individuals or groups whose work has made a significant contribution to effective public health practice within maternal and child health at the community, state, tribal, national or global levels. The association presented the award to Lowery at its annual meeting in Atlanta.

Lowery serves as a professor and the chair of the UAMS College of Medicine’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and is the medical director for the UAMS Center for Distance Health.

He has authored or co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications, and has been influential in obtaining two of the largest grants in UAMS history. Lowery is the founder and medical director of the nationally lauded Antenatal and Neonatal Guidelines, Education, and Learning System (ANGELS), one of the first obstetrical telemedicine programs in the nation.

Co-authors on the poster were Kristie B. Hadden, Ph.D., executive director of the Center for Health Literacy; Fred W. Prior, Ph.D., chair of the UAMS College of Medicine’s Department of Biomedical Informatics; Latrina Y. Prince, Ed.D., an instructor in the Center for Health Literacy; Rawle A. Seupaul, M.D., professor and chairman of the College of Medicine’s Department of Emergency Medicine; and C. Lowry Barnes, M.D., chair of the College of Medicine’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.

The project focused on previous national research that demonstrated that patients want their providers to know when they struggle to understand health information. Additional research showed that a single screening question could predict whether a patient is at risk for struggling with health literacy so that providers can make sure that the information they provide is clear and easy to understand.

More than 58,000 patients have been screened at UAMS in the departments of Emergency Medicine and Orthopaedic Surgery, as well as primary care and specialty clinics. Overall, about 79 percent of patients screened as having adequate health literacy.

When patients are identified as at risk for health literacy issues, health care professionals are prompted to use a set of best practices that include encouraging patients to ask questions, reading and explaining complicated material out loud, and limiting the amount of written content. They are also encouraged to use the teach-back method to confirm understanding of complex information, in which health care professionals explain information in plain language, then ask the patient to repeat the information in their own words.

“It is often difficult to confirm understanding with patients; when asked if they understand, patients often reply ‘yes,’ and if they have any questions, they often say, ‘no.’” said Hadden. “You can uncover many misunderstandings or misinformation, and clarify when you ask a patient to explain what they heard in their own words.”

Hadden said the results show that screening patients for health literacy can provide benefits for both health care providers and patients as each will better understand their counterpart and forge a stronger relationship and level of trust.

“This is an example of how we can use informatics for population health care in an innovative way,” said Hadden. “There’s so much more to do with this project and the data. This was just an optimistic first glance.”

“Dr. Thomas meets every criteria we have for this award,” said Terry Trevino-Richard, president of the local LULAC chapter. “He’s a prominent individual at UAMS and has been instrumental in helping Latino students develop professional careers in health care. We appreciate the support and assistance Dr. Thomas has provided LULAC for so many years.”

UAMS and the Center for Diversity Affairs have worked and partnered with LULAC for several years, including the last few years by offering tuition waivers to match LULAC scholarships given to UAMS students.

“It shows the students that UAMS is invested in them,” said Thomas. “We hope it shows the students UAMS wants them to succeed and is here to help.”

Just this year, UAMS began a LULAC student group.

“Student groups help a great deal on campus,” said Thomas. “As with other groups on campus, it helps students avoid the isolation many are prone to feel. There are also issues that are unique to groups of students from different races, ethnicities and backgrounds and groups like these help students have a voice on campus.”

Thomas said he was honored to be recognized by a group like LULAC that does so much in the community.

“The Hispanic population is one that is growing, has been marginalized and is underserved and LULAC does tremendous work to bring those issues to the forefront,” said Thomas. “It was certainly an honor to receive this award and be recognized as an ally.”

Thomas, a board-certified neonatologist at UAMS for nearly three decades, was named the first vice chancellor for diversity and inclusion at UAMS in 2011. He earned his medical degree at UAMS and completed his residency in pediatrics in 1983. He is a professor in the UAMS College of Medicine Department of Pediatrics.

In 2004, he was appointed associate dean for diversity in the College of Medicine after serving as assistant dean since 1996. In 2008, UAMS established the Center for Diversity Affairs and Thomas was named assistant vice chancellor for diversity.

“Our overall mission is to increase the number of minority students who go into health care professions as it will help our state’s diverse population be better represented and translate into better health care,” said Thomas.

UAMS hosted the 2017-2018 American Heart Association (AHA) “Sweethearts” – 70 girls from high schools throughout central Arkansas – during two evenings in October.

AHA Sweethearts is a year-long program that introduces sophomore girls to the importance of heart health, the mission of the AHA, and the region’s investment into heart-related activities.

At UAMS, the students were exposed to a range of research activities, with demonstrations focusing on protein engineering, clinical simulations, heart and kidney functions and cancer.

UAMS organizers were former AHA Established Investigator Award recipients Jerry Ware, Ph.D., a professor in the College of Medicine Department of Physiology and Biophysics, and Steve Post, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Pathology.

Other faculty participants included assistant professor Aime Franco, Ph.D., and professor K.I. Varughese, Ph.D., of the Department of Physiology and Biophysics; Nishank Jain, M.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine Division of Nephrology; and Kevin Phelan, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences. James Marsh, M.D., Nolan Professor and Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine, welcomed the students and stressed the importance of AHA-sponsored research to UAMS.

Ware, Post and Varughese have supported AHA research activities and have received AHA support in the past. Jain currently holds an AHA Scientist Development Award.