C. Lowry Barnes, M.D., an orthopaedic surgeon, professor and department chair at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), has been inducted into The Hip Society, a national organization dedicated to the advancement of knowledge relating to the hip joint. Its members are recognized thought leaders in the field of hip surgery.

Barnes was recognized as a new member in March in New Orleans at the 2018 Winter Meeting of The Hip Society.

Barnes is chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery in the UAMS College of Medicine. He also holds the Carl L. Nelson, M.D., Distinguished Chair in Orthopaedic Surgery. Barnes is the only Arkansas member of The Hip Society since the death of Nelson, the former chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery for whom the distinguished chair is named.

Barnes graduated with honors from the College of Medicine in 1986 and completed his internship and residency in orthopaedic surgery at UAMS. He completed a fellowship in adult reconstructive surgery and arthritis surgery at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

Barnes is one of Arkansas’ and the region’s foremost joint replacement experts. He is also a member of the prestigious Knee Society, an exclusive organization of the world’s experts in orthopaedic surgery, where he is also the only Arkansas member.

Barnes is president of the Mid-America Orthopaedic Association and a past president of the Arkansas Orthopaedic Society, the Southern Orthopaedic Association and the Society of Arthritic Joint Surgery. He has served as treasurer and is currently president-elect of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons.

Barnes has published extensively and is on the editorial boards of peer-reviewed publications including the Journal of Arthroplasty and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research. Barnes is known nationally for his expertise in health care quality and efficiency.

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.

By Ben Boulden | May 9th, 2018 |

On a normal day, Joan Baldridge could reach UAMS’ campus from her Little Rock home in a few minutes. That was not the case in November when Baldridge ultimately needed care in short order.

Baldridge and her husband were at Cayo Espanto. The couple worked to pack and tidy up their villa on the private island off the coast of Belize. Their trip home was the next day. That’s when Baldridge fell on a concrete floor and injured her hip.

“I’m not sure how it happened,” she said. “It happened so fast. I was standing up one moment and the next I wasn’t.”

Baldridge quips that she is no stranger to orthopaedic injuries. She’s broken one hip and had a knee replacement, so she immediately knew something was wrong.

“I had never done something like that to my hip,” she said.

What Baldridge did not expect was the prolonged, harrowing journey home.

It began when the private island was unable to reach its preferred doctor on the mainland. She spent about 12 hours with her husband, George Ballard, and an attentive island staff without medical care. Finally, a helicopter and doctor arrived mid-morning. The helicopter took Baldridge to a hospital in Belize City.

The couple’s travel insurance company provided the next hitch in their journey.

“They insisted on an x-ray to prove my injury, but there were no x-ray machines on the island,” Baldridge said.

A scan with a portable x-ray at the Belize City hospital did not satisfy the company, either. It ultimately accepted a CT scan that indeed showed a fractured hip. By then, it had been nearly 18 hours since Baldridge’s injury occurred.

“We felt helpless,” said Baldridge. “We wondered if we were ever going to get home.”

Baldridge and her husband found strength through the island staff and medical team during her wait.

It took another handful of hours for the plane sent by the insurance company to arrive. Baldridge and her husband boarded the small, private jet around midnight. Their destination had been set.

During the wait at the hospital in Belize City, Baldridge texted a friend in Little Rock who contacted C. Lowry Barnes, chair of the UAMS College of Medicine’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.

As soon as Baldridge’s plane landed in Little Rock, she came to UAMS. Thirty-two hours after her injury, Baldridge could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

“I have never been so glad to be any place in my whole life,” Baldridge said. “I was totally focused, mentally and emotionally, on getting home and to UAMS. As we got to UAMS, it was just a relief.”

The afternoon of Nov. 9, Baldridge wheeled into an operating room at UAMS where Paul Edwards, M.D., hip-and-knee surgeon and professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, performed a total hip replacement.

Edwards said Baldridge’s injury occurred in the upper part of her femur, or thigh bone.

“The hip joint consists of a ball and socket,” said Edwards. “A portion of the ball is attached to the femur, which is known as the femoral neck. As we age, the bone quality and strength fades and the area is at risk for fracture in the instance of a fall or other traumatic incident.”

Robotic-arm technology has emerged as an alternative in orthopaedic surgery, the hope being automation provides more accuracy and better patient results. Research by UAMS orthopaedic surgeons shows achieving better patient results lies elsewhere.

Their work has molded a clinical pathway developed to the patient’s needs. It begins with the first visit and ends with the last checkup.

The orthopaedics staff meets with patients and their families before surgery. Patients and their families learn about the procedure and recovery process. The staff is able to identify and mitigate risk factors.

All UAMS orthopaedic surgeons specialize in a particular service. This includes hip and knee, foot and ankle, shoulder and elbow, hand and upper extremity, back and spine, sports medicine and trauma. UAMS’s hip and knee service includes four fellowship trained surgeons. It is the most fellowship training in joint replacement in Arkansas.

This allows UAMS orthopaedic surgeons to narrow their focus, stay up-to-date on best practices and provide a benefit to the patient, said Edwards.

A designated staff of nurses and health professionals tend to patients following surgery. Patients visit with a physical therapist and are moving the same day as surgery. Most return home within 24 hours of the procedure.

“We have seen this process minimizes the risk for readmissions, complications and leads to a faster recovery,” Edwards said. “New robotic technology has not shown the same advantages to patients.”

The UAMS process made Baldridge a believer.

“I cannot stress enough wonderful UAMS was to me,” said Baldridge. “Everyone was so helpful, understanding and kind, and the care I received was superb.”

By Lee Hogan | May 7th, 2018 |

Twenty-four otology fellows from 10 countries recently learned advanced techniques in otologic surgery from international experts at an annual fellows course hosted by the UAMS Department of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery.

The Otology Fellows Congress and Advanced Course in Ear & Skull Base Surgery was held April 27-29 in the Yasargil Surgical Skills Laboratory & Education Center in the Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute at UAMS. It was the third year for the conference, and all invited fellows participate in the course free of charge.

John Dornhoffer, M.D., department chairman and one of four collaborating directors for the course, said there are several things that make it unique: the expert panel of educators, the advanced surgical techniques being offered, the specialized facilities, and, of course, the price.

“This course really brings together people who are going to change the future for patients all over the world,” Dornhoffer said. “The hope is to train them, but also to establish networking opportunities and collaborations so we can truly make the treatment of ear conditions and the advancement of the science an international effort.”

The course was made up of lectures, labs and lab dissections taught by 10 faculty who are international leaders in their respective areas of expertise, such as chronic ear conditions, cochlear implantation, auditory hair cell regeneration, congenital aural atresia and more.

Course participation is limited to otology fellows, who have already dedicated many years of study to training in the field. This specialization means the instructors are able to cover specific techniques and advanced surgeries that go beyond what is offered in other courses.

The topics included soft tissue flaps, implantable hearing devices like cochlear implants, workup for complex patients, endoscopic ear surgery and complex tympanoplasty and ossiculoplasty scenarios.

Course co-director Michael B. Gluth, M.D., director of the Comprehensive Ear & Hearing Center and director of the Bloom Otopathology Lab at the University of Chicago, credited the lab facilities at UAMS as a key part of the experience.

The Yasargil Center includes 12 stations for ear surgery, 12 stations for skull-base surgery and an anatomy lab, where the endoscopic training took place. The institute building was paid for by a donation from the late Jack Stephens of Little Rock, and Dornhoffer was able to participate in the design of the lab space.

“The physical lab facility is one of a kind,” Gluth said. “There’s really not another lab or facility that could even handle this. It’s almost unheard of.”

While a similar course might cost $3,000-$4,000, this course is free because of more than $100,000 in donations from industry sources. Lodging and dissection specimens are included. Participants only pay travel costs.

“Some of our participants are from countries where a training like this would otherwise be unaffordable,” Dornhoffer said. “It can feel like the United Nations of ear surgeries here, and we like that, because the bottom line is that they’re going to go back to their countries and they’re going to be able to do a better job on their patients.”

This year’s course included participants from Russia, Ukraine, China, Brazil, Italy, Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany and the United States.

For some, like Meiqun Wang from Nanchang, China, it was their first chance to take such a high-level course.

“I’m very interested in this training because in my country I rarely have the chance to take courses like this,” she said, adding that her biggest takeaway was the actual surgical techniques.

For others, like Jameson Mattingly from Ohio State University and Nedim Durakovic from Washington University in St. Louis, who have had previous exposure to many of the surgeries, the value came from listening to experts who have performed the surgeries hundreds of times and can offer advice that comes from experience.

“The faculty that are here are truly the experts in the field,” Mattingly said. “To have one-on-one time with them has been unique. The biggest takeaway has been listening to some of their specific cases, those pearls of experience.”

“And a lot of the surgeries are unique and are only done by a handful of people in the whole country,” Durakovic said. “It’s also been great just to socialize with the faculty and other fellows. These are people we will likely be around for the rest of our careers. It’s interesting to see how they do things differently, the nuances of patient care wherever they work.”

Sponsorship was provided by Stryker NSE, Advanced Bionics, Cochlear Americas, Grace Medical, MED-EL Corp. and Karl Storz Endoscopy-America.

“The industries see value in this because they know these participants are going to be the leaders of tomorrow in this field,” Dornhoffer said.

Dornhoffer is an international expert in chronic ear conditions. He and Gluth co-authored the textbook “The Chronic Ear,” which was given to the participants as part of the course. Dornhoffer’s main goal is to restore hearing to as many people as possible, and his work has included the development of new procedures and techniques for hearing reconstruction that are used worldwide. He has also designed several prostheses to replace bones in the middle ear.

Other instructors for the course included:

• Craig A. Buchman, M.D., otolaryngology department chairman at Washington University School of Medicine and international expert in cochlear implantation. Buchman is involved in the leadership of many of the discipline’s professional organizations.
• Lawrence R. Lustig, M.D., otolaryngology department chairman at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York. His research has pioneered cochlear gene therapy for genetic forms of hearing loss. He is an expert in auditory hair cell regeneration.
• Alexander Huber, M.D., otolaryngology department chairman at the University Hospital Zurich. He is an internationally recognized pioneer in otology and skull-base surgery.
• Bradley W. Kesser, M.D., professor of otology and neurotology at the University of Virginia. He is the world’s expert in congenital atresia.
• Gluth, associate professor of surgery and director of the Comprehensive Ear & Hearing Center and director of the Bloom Otopathology Lab at the University of Chicago, with an expertise in the middle ear and reconstruction.
• Brandon Isaacson, M.D., course co-director for the program and associate professor of otology and neurotology and co-director of the University of Texas Southwestern Comprehensive Skull Base Program. He has expertise in endoscopic ear surgery.
• J. Walter Kutz Jr., M.D., course co-director for the program and associate professor of otology and neurotology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, with an expertise in acoustic neuroma outcomes.
• Samuel Gubbels, M.D., associate professor of otolaryngology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and director of UCHealth Hearing and Balance clinics. He has expertise in stem cells and regenerative therapies for hearing loss.
• Betty S. Tsai Do, M.D., assistant professor of otology and neurotology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, with an expertise in improving coordinated multidisciplinary care for otolaryngology patients and physician wellness.

By Amy Widner |May 3rd, 2018 |

Omar T. Atiq, M.D., has been named chair-elect of the board of governors of the American College of Physicians (ACP), the national organization of internists.  His term began during Internal Medicine Meeting 2018, ACP’s annual scientific meeting held in New Orleans from April 19-21.

Atiq is a professor in the Medical Oncology division in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). He also serves as director of the Cancer Service Line at UAMS Medical Center and associate director of the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute.

He most recently served as governor of the Arkansas Chapter of ACP. Governors are elected by local ACP members and serve four-year terms. Working with a local council, they supervise ACP chapter activities, appoint members to local committees, and preside at regional meetings. They also represent members by serving on the ACP board of governors. He has been a fellow of ACP (FACP) since 1993.  FACP is an honorary designation that recognizes ongoing individual service and contributions to the practice of medicine.

Atiq earned his medical degree from the Khyber Medical College, University of Peshawar, Pakistan.  He is board certified in medical oncology, hematology and internal medicine.

The main areas of professional interest for Atiq include national health reform, Arkansas health care access, scope of practice, private and community practice, and payment reform.

The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization in the United States with members in more than 145 countries worldwide. ACP membership includes 152,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on Twitterand Facebook.

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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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By Susan Van Dusen|May 3rd, 2018 |

For the sixth consecutive year, all of the graduating family medicine residents in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine passed their American Board for Family Medicine exams in their first attempt. This 100% rate is unmatched in other Arkansas family medicine programs and is unsurpassed in the nation.

The residents took the exam in April, and preliminary results show that all seven have passed. Official scores won’t be available for another five weeks.

The third-year residents are Aleobe Eruemulor, M.D., David Wilkins, M.D., Deepa Jayakrishnan, M.D., Erica Stokes, M.D., John Allen Cockerell, M.D., Omololu Omowanile, M.D., and Zac Ottis, M.D.

“I am very pleased that all of our residents have passed boards,” said Dr. Cockerell, who plans to join his wife (a pediatrician) at the Sherwood Family Medical Center. “It is a testament to hard work by the residents and to the teaching we receive here in Little Rock. We routinely see high acuity patients and learn from some of the finest physicians around. Overall, dedication and education have again delivered a 100% pass rate.”

The ABFM Family Medicine Certification Examination is a day-long test that measures clinical decision-making ability and the required medical knowledge needed to make decisions in family medicine.

Angela Hall of Pineville, Missouri, was halfway through her pregnancy when she had a scare that sent her to her doctor in Rogers.

“I experienced some bleeding,” Hall said. “Having had a couple of miscarriages prior to this pregnancy, I was worried it could be happening again.”

Hall says once they determined the baby was okay, doctors did a specialized ultrasound that concluded she had placenta previa. Her placenta, the organ surrounding the baby in utero, was covering her cervix. This condition can cause bleeding during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy.

Hall’s obstetrician suggested she go to UAMS. She was transferred from Rogers to Little Rock at about 22 weeks along.

When she wasn’t in the hospital, Hall remained close. She temporarily moved into Markham House Suites across the street from UAMS.

“I was hospitalized a couple more times for bleeding. We decided to deliver at 34 weeks to get the baby out as safely as possible,” Hall said.

In addition to placenta previa, Hall had another placental abnormality called morbidly adherent placenta. It happens when the placenta grows into the uterus and doesn’t detach as it normally would after the baby is born. With this condition, the placenta can extend into surrounding tissues and other organs.

“With Mrs. Hall, we were able to make the diagnosis based on her ultrasound,” said Adam Sandlin, M.D., a maternal-fetal specialist and an assistant professor in the UAMS Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. “Our goal is to identify these cases before delivery so that we can be prepared for any potential complications.”

An early diagnosis is ideal, Sandlin says. It helps them prepare for potential bleeding and decide the best way to approach the delivery.

For the first time this year, UAMS began utilizing a device that would hopefully help to prevent or severely decrease the need for blood transfusion at the time of delivery by slowing down blood loss in patients with these types of placental abnormalities.

A multidisciplinary team of experts assembles for the procedure, including high-risk obstetricians, neonatologists, a trauma surgeon, and an anesthesia team specially trained for these cases.

J.R. Taylor, M.D., an assistant professor who practices in the UAMS Division of Trauma was trained to do this procedure during his fellowship at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. He described the procedure as cutting edge and said UAMS is one of five places in the country regularly doing the procedure for placental abnormalities.

“A group of forward-thinking trauma and vascular surgeons identified a need to control hemorrhage in combat casualties from Iraq and Afghanistan who were bleeding to death from injuries that couldn’t be controlled with a tourniquet,” Taylor said. “The first papers outlining the technique came out in 2011. Since then the technology has improved so much that we are now able to close up the aorta with simple access thru the skin in patients bleeding to death.”

Hall never bled enough to require inflation of the balloon in her operation. Taylor says that is a win for both the patient and the team.

“In these situations, it’s better to have and not need than to need and not have,” he said.

Baby Alice was born Feb. 13 via cesarean section at 34 weeks and 5 days. She was in the NICU more than three weeks before she and her mother returned home to her five siblings and father.

“I’m grateful for Dr. Sandlin and Dr. Taylor. I knew beforehand I would be treated by the best. I’m glad I got to be here and survive.”

By Katrina Dupins | May 1st, 2018

The UAMS College of Medicine paid tribute to faculty and staff for exemplary service, innovation and contributions to the college’s education, research and clinical mission areas at the eighth annual Dean’s Honor Day ceremony on April 24.

Interim Dean Christopher T. Westfall, M.D., used the occasion to emphasize how all of the college’s mission areas are ultimately carried out on behalf of patients – including the patients who will receive care in the future from physicians educated at UAMS and those who will benefit from the college’s research.

“But none of these things could happen without all of you,” Westfall said. “Thank you for going the extra mile, for doing more with less. Thank you for your hard work day in and day out in support of our mission and, again, most importantly in support of the patients who entrust their care to us.”

Aubrey J. Hough Jr., M.D., drew a standing ovation in the packed first-floor auditorium of the I. Dodd Wilson Education Building after being presented the Distinguished Faculty Service Award in recognition of his many leadership roles at UAMS over the past four decades.

Hough chaired the Department of Pathology from 1981 to 2002, substantially growing the department and transforming it into a nationally known program. He was an associate dean from 2003 to 2011, leading initiatives in translational research and special programs. He went on to serve as a special assistant to the UAMS chancellor for four years, supporting translational research, new program development and facilitation of the Myeloma Institute.

Hough has served on and led numerous college and campus committees. He served two terms as chief of staff of UAMS Medical Center. He was promoted to the rank of distinguished professor in 2004. In 2015 he was named a university professor, the only person at UAMS who has received the University of Arkansas System honor. Hough became a professor emeritus in July 2017.

“The things I think are most impressive are Dr. Hough’s steady character, his commitment to intellectual pursuit – he is probably the smartest person I have ever met – his commitment to the institution, and his commitment to fairness,” said Kent C. Westbrook, M.D., who nominated Dr. Hough.

After receiving the award, Hough read poet Edward Rowland Sill’s “Opportunity.” He said the college’s future, as well as the answer to any challenges it faces, “is here in this room; it is you; it is our faculty.”

The ceremony included 12 individual awards for faculty and staff, recognition of 55 faculty members receiving promotion and/or tenure, and a round of applause for five faculty members invested in endowed chairs this academic year. Associate Dean for Faculty Erick Messias, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H., served as master of ceremonies.

In addition to Hough, Faculty Award recipients were:

Michael Jennings, Ph.D., professor and chair, Department of Physiology and Biophysics – Master Teacher

Kevin Phelan, Ph.D., professor, Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences; and Gregory Snead, M.D., associate professor, Department of Emergency Medicine – Educational Innovation

John Spollen, M.D., professor, Department of Psychiatry – Educational Research

Edgar Garcia-Rill, Ph.D., professor, Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences – Excellence in Research

Jeannette M. Shorey II, M.D., UAMS associate provost for faculty and professor, Department of Internal Medicine – Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award (presented by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation

Dale Blasier, M.D., professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery – Residency Educator

Henry Farrar, M.D., professor, Department of Pediatrics – Residency Educator

Read more about the 2018 faculty award honorees.

The recipients of Staff Excellence Awards were:

Jennifer VanEcko, M3-M4 coordinator – Education

H.J. “Trey” Spencer, M.S., biostatistician, Department of Biostatistics – Research

Steve Michener, M.P.A., administrator, Department of Emergency Medicine/Emergency Medicine Service Line – Administration

Gloria Townsend, executive assistant, Department of Internal Medicine – Administration

Read more about the 2018 staff honorees.

Joan M. Cranmer, Ph.D., a professor with the Department of Pediatrics in the UAMS College of Medicine recently was honored with the 2018 Outstanding Woman Faculty Award by the UAMS Women’s Faculty Development Caucus.

The award is presented to a woman who is a mentor and role model with a record of scholarly endeavors, teaching expertise and strong leadership as demonstrated by administrative skills and professional accomplishments. Recipients also have a history of helping develop careers for other women.

Cranmer was nominated by colleagues Beatrice Boateng, Ph.D.; and Renee Bornemeier, M.D.; and Department of Pediatrics Chair Rick Barr, M.D.

“Not only is the impact of her program recognized within the College of Medicine, but also beyond,” they wrote in their nomination letter. “Many other academic medical institutions have sought her counsel and have taken her framework for this program back to implement it in their university systems.”

Cranmer, on the UAMS faculty since 1976, has been with the Department of Pediatrics since 1984. She has served on several study sections, advisory boards, committees and expert panels for National Institutes of Health, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Academy of Science and the World Health Organization.

“Dr. Cranmer truly demonstrates what it is to be an outstanding woman faculty member,” said Molly Gathright, M.D., president of the caucus. “Her academic record speaks for itself, and her exceptional leadership and mentoring has had a lasting impact not only at UAMS but also nationally.  Her commitment to the mission and integrity of the college and university is evident to all.”

She is the founding editor of the journal Neurotoxicology: An International Journal, launched in 1979. Recognizing her contributions to mentoring, the Department of Pediatrics has named an annual award in her honor. The Joan Cranmer Mentoring Award is presented to faculty to recognize them for effective mentoring.Other 2018 nominees for the award were Teresa Kramer, M.D., professor and chief psychologist in the College of Medicine Department of Psychiatry; Jean McSweeney, Ph.D., R.N., with the College of Nursing; Kathryn Neill, director of administrative and student affairs in the Office of Interprofessional Education and associate dean for Administrative and Academic Affairs for the College of Pharmacy; and Sara Shalin, associate professor in the College of Medicine Department of Pathology.

Debra Fiser, M.D., one of the founders of UAMS Women’s Faculty Development Caucus, received a special presentation during the awards dinner in honor of her forthcoming retirement.

By Ashley McNatt | May 1st, 2018

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has launched a free weekly education and consultation service for Arkansas health care providers to better manage chronic pain patients and those who need their opioid dosage reduced.

Arkansas Improving Multidisciplinary Pain Care Treatment (AR-IMPACT) was announced today at a news conference at the state Capitol with Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Arkansas Drug Director Kirk Lane and partnering agencies: the Arkansas Medical Society, Arkansas Academy of Family Physicians, the Arkansas State Medical Board, the Arkansas Department of Human Services and the Arkansas Department of Health.

Funding for UAMS AR-IMPACT’s first year has been provided by $104,125 from Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield and $49,000 from the office of the state drug director.

“We are thankful to Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield for their partnership as we work to improve pain management in Arkansas,” said UAMS Interim Chancellor Stephanie Gardner, Pharm.D., Ed.D. “As the state’s only health sciences university, UAMS is uniquely positioned to address this issue head on for the betterment of all Arkansans.”

“Arkansas Blue Cross recognizes that the opioid epidemic threatens the health of the people of Arkansas in many ways,” said Curtis Barnett, Arkansas Blue Cross president and CEO. “For those in chronic pain and for those treating them, it’s not an easy resolution. We already have been working with health care providers to help get a better understanding of opioid prescribing patterns in Arkansas and we believe the new AR-IMPACT education program with UAMS will help doctors learn about resources and alternatives to managing pain. It will take everyone working together to truly impact this crisis.”

Arkansas ranks second in the nation for its opioid prescribing rate with an average of 114.6 prescriptions per 100 people, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data from 2014-2016.There were 116 deaths per day from opioid-related drug overdoses in the United States in 2016, according to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services.

UAMS AR-IMPACT is a live streaming online video conferencing service staffed by a multidisciplinary team from UAMS, including a pain physician, addiction psychiatrist, a psychologist, two pharmacists and a physical therapist. For more information, go to arimpact.uams.edu.

“Prescribers are experiencing greater scrutiny than ever before,” said G. Richard Smith, M.D., a professor in the Department of Psychiatry in the UAMS College of Medicine who is spearheading the project. “However, they won’t be able to reduce their patients’ dependency overnight. In fact, stopping cold is dangerous. What these doctors need is access to the whole toolkit of what is available so they can best serve their patients. We hope to help with that.”

Each weekly conference will include a 20-minute presentation on an opioid-related topic and a question-and-answer session. Participants are encouraged to present patient cases for individualized feedback about approaches to treatment.

Physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, pharmacists and other health care providers are welcome to use the service and will be able to earn continuing medical education credits.

Topics will include how to taper off opioids, alternatives to opioids for pain management, when physical therapy is appropriate, when to recommend a nerve block or an epidural and more. Smith said participant interest will guide future topic choices.

UAMS AR-IMPACT is the latest of UAMS’ efforts to respond to the opioid epidemic which include reducing opioid prescriptions while improving patient outcomes, re-educating staff, treating overdose patients and treating opioid addiction through medication and group therapy. Research to improve understanding of opioid addiction and its treatment is ongoing in departments across campus.

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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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By Amy Widner | April 30th, 2018 |

An estimated  one in 77 Arkansas children are identified as having Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), according to a new report by the Arkansas Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (AR ADDM) Program of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).

The new Arkansas numbers are based on information collected from health and special education records of almost 40,000 8-year old children living in Arkansas in 2014.  They are the first numbers statewide since a 2010 count and are part of national data released today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that was gathered from the national ADDM network. The 2010 count estimated that one in 65 Arkansas children were identified with autism. The current estimate still could be as high as 1 in 64 (1.6 percent), accounting for records that were not located for review.

The Arkansas monitoring program includes investigators with UAMS and operates in collaboration with the Arkansas Department of Health and the Arkansas Department of Education to track the number and characteristics of 8-year-olds with ASD and/or intellectual disability.

The AR ADDM data found that boys are 3.8 times more likely to be identified with autism than girls. Also, white children are significantly more likely to be identified with ASD than black or Hispanic children. In Arkansas, autism was 30 percent more likely to be identified in white children than in black children and 70 percent more likely to be identified in white children than in Hispanic children. Of children identified as ASD cases based on record review, about 92 percent had developmental concerns by age 3, but only 31 percent had received a comprehensive developmental evaluation by 3.

“As in the overall ADDM Network, Arkansas has a lag between first concern about a child’s development and an autism diagnosis,” said Maya Lopez, M.D., associate professor in the UAMS College of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics. “We should use this information to promote developmental screening in health and educational providers statewide and to connect these children with appropriate services.”

UAMS’ Dennis Developmental Center and Schmieding Developmental Center, both in the College of Medicine Department of Pediatrics, offer diagnostic multidisciplinary team evaluations for children with developmental and behavioral concerns from birth to 21 years of age.

The Arkansas monitoring program’s findings also can be used to inform educational outreach initiatives, specially those targeting minority and underserved populations to promote early identification, plan for services and training, guide future ASD research and inform policies promoting improved health outcomes for individuals with the disorder.

AR ADDM provides individualized presentations on the number and characteristics of children with ASD to state and community agencies.  The Arkansas monitoring program also co-sponsors educational events for families and educators, such as the Team Up state conference on autism, and collaborates on developmental disabilities awareness events such as Arkansas Walk Now for Autism Speaks.

By Ben Boulden | April 27th, 2018 |