Sharon and H.A. Ted Bailey, M.D., members of the Society of the Double Helix, have been steadfast supporters of UAMS for decades, particularly when it comes to education. So it’s only fitting that the Baileys chose to continue that tradition by establishing a distinguished otology lectureship with a gift of $150,000.

The Sharon and Dr. Ted Bailey Distinguished Lectureship in Otology will support lectures, seminars and other education forums that will allow UAMS to invite and host renowned physicians and researchers as guest speakers to share their knowledge and advances in the field. Otology is the study of the anatomy and diseases of the ear.

“Sharon and I are pleased to continue our support of UAMS by bringing renowned otologic physicians and researchers to share the latest developments in this field,” said Ted Bailey. “Our goal for this distinguished lectureship series is to keep UAMS at the forefront of otologic care and thereby benefit the many thousands of Arkansans who suffer from hearing loss and other ear problems.”

Ted Bailey, a 1947 College of Medicine graduate, taught UAMS medical students and residents for many years, including a young James Suen, M.D. Suen, a distinguished professor in the College of Medicine, served as chair of the Department of Otolaryngology for 43 years.

“Dr. Bailey gave lectures to me when I was a student,” said Suen. “When I was a resident in training, I spent time in his office and he spent a lot of time teaching me. We became good friends after I became chairman of the department, and that relationship has grown over the years. I am thankful that this lectureship will honor Dr. Bailey indefinitely and greatly enhance the education of our residents and faculty. Dr. Bailey was one of the premier otologic surgeons in the U.S. He has restored hearing in thousands of patients.”

The lectureship will benefit the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery in the College of Medicine, which Ted Bailey oversaw for several years when it was still a division.

“Dr. Ted Bailey is an icon for ear surgery in Arkansas,” said John Dornhoffer, M.D., chair of the Department of Otolaryngology. “This generous gift will allow us to bring national and international experts in hearing and balance disorders as invited lecturers to continue this tradition of excellence in otology.”

The department plans to expand research in hearing loss and cochlear implantation in addition to its renowned research in head and neck cancers and vascular malformations, Dornhoffer said.

By Benjamin Waldrum | April 17th, 2018 |

The Comprehensive Epilepsy Center at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has been accredited with the highest designation available from the National Association of Epilepsy Centers.

The Level 4 accreditation means that UAMS is capable of performing the most complex surgeries for the treatment of epilepsy. The accreditation is valid through December 2019. The nearest adult Level 4 epilepsy programs are in Jackson, Mississippi, and Dallas.

UAMS has hired fellowship-trained neurosurgeon Viktoras Palys, M.D., who is capable of performing complex epilepsy surgeries including placing temporary recording electrodes on the surface of the brain or implanting them within the brain tissue. These procedures assist in planning the surgical approach for particular patients.

The center offers a broad range of surgical procedures for epilepsy. In addition to the spectrum of brain surgeries it offers MRI-guided laser ablation for the diseased brain tissue along with placement of responsive brain stimulation (RNS, Neuropace) and vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) devices. For the minimally invasive diagnostic and/or treatment procedures, the robotic stereotactic assistance (ROSA) is available to supplement the traditional surgical navigation tools.

Palys joins epileptologists Bashir Sami Shihabuddin, M.D., and Ikram Khan, M.D., as well as a multidisciplinary team dedicated to the treatment of epilepsy, including neuroradiologists, neuropsychologists, pharmacists and social workers.

Shihabuddin, medical director of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center and a professor in the Department of Neurology in the UAMS College of Medicine, said in addition to highlighting programs with advanced surgical capabilities, the Level 4 designation signals a dedication to a team approach and comprehensive care.

“Many patients with epilepsy will not need these advanced surgeries, but they benefit from being treated at a comprehensive epilepsy center, where we can offer patients the whole scope of treatments available, backed up by the technology and expertise necessary,” Shihabuddin said.

Epilepsy can be difficult to diagnose and complex to manage. Shihabuddin said about 30 percent of patients referred to the center for treatment actually turn out to be non- epileptic. For many others, accurate diagnosis of a specific epilepsy syndrome might lead to changes to anti-seizure medications that can result in vast improvements.

The center can provide minimally invasive procedures for the treatment of epilepsy such as implanting stimulation devices such as responsive neurostimulators or vagus nerve stimulators. The center also offers Video-EEG monitoring technology, neuropsychological assessment, MRI scans, PET scans and Ictal SPECT scans that are tailored specifically for epilepsy.

Epilepsy is a common and serious neurological condition that is characterized by repeated unprovoked seizures. Seizures are caused by abnormal bursts of electrical activity in the brain. They cause spells of altered behavior, consciousness, emotions or sensations. They might be mild with brief experiences like changes in vision, unusual tastes or smells, tingling or a sense of déjà vu. They can also be severe, such as convulsive seizures with violent muscle stiffening and contractions.

There are several types of epileptic seizures and epilepsy disorders. Epilepsy can result from multiple causes such as head trauma, abnormalities in brain structure and genetic predisposition. But in many cases the cause of seizures remains unknown.

Early treatment is key. The National Association of Epilepsy Centers recommends that patients whose seizures are not under control after three months of treatment by a primary care physician should seek treatment from a neurologist. Patients who have been seeing a general neurologist and are still experiencing seizures after 12 months should request a referral to an epilepsy center with an epileptologist.

Palys received his medical degree from Kaunas Medical University in Lithuania, followed by general surgery residency training at Lithuanian University of Health Sciences in Kaunas. He completed his general surgery internship at the University of Illinois at Chicago, Metropolitan Group Hospitals, and neurosurgery residency training at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. He also obtained additional functional and stereotactic neurosurgery training at a Virginia Commonwealth University fellowship directed by Kathryn L. Holloway, M.D.

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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 16th, 2018|

Dr. Margaret Weiss Named to School Safety Panel

Margaret Weiss, M.D., Ph.D., Professor and Director of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry, has been appointed to the Arkansas School Safety Commission. The 18-member group, which met for the first time on March 13, has been commissioned by Gov. Asa Hutchinson to assess the security of Arkansas’ schools and make recommendations accordingly.

The commissioners will evaluate school designs, safety and security policies, emergency plans and policies, school counseling and mental health issues. They will also look at school-security data, including issues such as single-point entry, electronic access badges, and school resource officers. The commission’s initial report is due to Gov. Hutchinson on July 1.

Dr. Jeffrey Clothier Honored by APA

Jeffrey Clothier, M.D., Professor and Executive Vice-Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Medical Director of the Psychiatric Research Institute, has been named a Distinguished Life Fellow by the American Psychiatric Association (APA).

As the APA’s highest membership honor, the Distinguished Fellowship recognizes outstanding psychiatrists who have also made significant contributions to the psychiatric profession in multiple areas such as administration, teaching, scientific and scholarly publications, volunteering in mental health and medical activities of social significance and community involvement. Dr. Clothier will be honored at a May 7 ceremony at the APA’s annual meeting in New York City.

The public is invited to the Parkinson’s Forum, which is presented by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and features experts in the diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson’s, information on research and clinical trials and discussions for patients and caregivers about living with the disease.

The free event will be held from 1-5 p.m. April 15 on the 12th floor of the UAMS Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute. Parking will be available in parking deck number 3 on the east side of campus and connected by an indoor walking bridge to the event site.

The event is designed for those living with Parkinson’s disease, their family members, doctors, nurses, other health care professionals and those interested in knowing more about the disease. Doctors, nurses and pharmacists will be able to apply for continuing medical education for attending the forum.

The fourth annual event of its kind, the Parkinson’s Forum began as a way to build community among Parkinson’s patients, their doctors and caregivers. It serves as a vehicle for sharing the latest medical advances and building networks of support.

“We know that there’s more to living with Parkinson’s than we’re able to cover during visits to the doctor’s office, and we also know that patients and caregivers have a lot to teach us as physicians and researchers,” said event organizer Erika Petersen, M.D., a neurosurgeon and associate professor in the UAMS College of Medicine’s Department of Neurosurgery. “We hope this serves as forum for those important conversations.”

The schedule includes presentations, panels, a question-and-answer session and time for mingling with experts.

Each year, organizers try to include an example of a physical exercise for Parkinson’s. This year, Danny Dring, owner of and master instructor at Living Defense Martial Arts in Sherwood, will demonstrate Rock Steady Boxing, a boxing program specifically designed to increase coordination, speed and confidence for Parkinson’s patients.

The agenda includes:

• Clinical trials basics for Parkinson’s disease
• Cognition in Parkinson’s disease
• Boxing for Parkinson’s disease
• Panels on multidisciplinary approaches to mild as well as moderate and advanced Parkinson’s disease
• Deep brain stimulation: what’s new?

Parkinson’s disease is treated as part of the Movement Disorders Clinic at UAMS. Movement disorders include essential tremor, Huntington’s disease, ataxia, Tourette’s syndrome and other conditions that cause tremors, involuntary movements and difficulty walking. The UAMS Movement Disorder team provides a well-coordinated, multidisciplinary approach, which includes neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuropsychologists and other specialists offering comprehensive care using the latest technologies and treatments.

Petersen is director of the Section of Functional and Restorative Neurosurgery at UAMS. A fellowship-trained neurosurgeon, Petersen can perform a number of specialized surgeries, including deep brain stimulation, which acts similar to a pacemaker for the brain and blocks some of the signals that cause the increasingly debilitating symptoms of Parkinson’s, dystonia and essential tremor that can make daily life difficult.

For more information or to join a list to receive updates about future Parkinson’s events, call 501-686-5270.

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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.

By Amy Widner | April 11th, 2018 |

Carye Beavers is always in pain. The 45-year-old has a degenerative bone disease that was made worse by a car accident in 2011.

Before she discovered relief from the UAMS pain management clinic, Beavers says her days usually ended around noon because it hurt too much to function regularly beyond that.

“On a scale of 1 to 10, my day-to-day pain was at an 8,” Beavers said. “By the end of the day, I was in so much pain, I couldn’t function. I was literally in tears in bed without any hope it would get better.”

Beavers soon found a solution at the UAMS Pain Clinic with Johnathan Goree, M.D., an anesthesiologist who specializes in pain management.

Goree says there are several surgical and non-surgical options to treat pain without opioid medication. Beavers receives non-surgical steroid injections.

“The injections reduce inflammation in nerves and in the muscle,” Goree said. “We find the specific area that is inflamed, either joints or nerves, and target it with either x-ray or ultrasound guidance. Then we inject a local anesthetic mixed with a steroid to calm the inflamed area.”

Beavers receives a steroid injection about every six to eight months. A year ago, she moved from Little Rock to Lebanon, Pennsylvania. But she still makes the trip back to Arkansas for her treatment.

“There are no doctors I could find in my area that will do this type of pain management,” Beavers said. “They won’t even discuss it even with the success I’ve had for the past few years.”

Beavers’ latest injection was during Spring Break.

“With Dr. Goree and his team at this clinic, my pain is now at about a 5 or 6,” Beavers said. “For someone who has always been in constant pain, that’s a big deal. That’s a lot of relief.”

Other treatments, Goree says, are nerve ablations and spinal cord stimulation. In ablation, nerves delivering pain signals to the brain are destroyed with either heat, cold or chemicals. Because it’s been damaged, that nerve can no longer send pain signals to the brain.

For spinal cord stimulation, a physician places a device under the patient’s skin that sends electrical signals to the spinal cord. The patient doesn’t feel pain because the electrical pulses mask the pain signal.

For some patients, Goree says they use low-dose methadone because of its long-lasting effects and ability to work on more than one pain receptor.

“Most opioids only work on one receptor,” Goree said. “Eventually, that receptor gets used to the medication and it stops being as effective.”

Goree says low-dose methadone also prevents patients from experiencing peaks and troughs or highs and lows. Since it lasts longer than a drug that works for only a few hours at a time, it keeps the patient at a more steady state.

Methadone is often used to treat patients who have had a previous opioid addiction to prevent withdrawal. Goree emphasizes the medication should only be administered under the care of a trained physician.

Beavers says she appreciates the pain clinic for being open-minded about methods of pain management that fits each individual patient.

“Here, it’s not just a blanket, ‘this is what we do for everyone.’ They care about my life. I’m more than a folder they look at for five minutes before entering the room,” Beavers said. “I feel like they know me and they care. They’re treating me for my future and not just for today, giving me back hope for a quality of life that I had given up on.”

By Katrina Dupins | April 9th, 2018

The UAMS College of Medicine recently welcomed new faculty members:

Family Medicine

Geeta Sakariya, M.D., M.P.H., has joined the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Sakariya received her medical degree from Government Medical School in Surat, Gujarat, India, in 2008 and completed her residency in family medicine at the University of North Dakota in Bismarck. She also holds a Master of Public Health in Community Health Education from California State University Long Beach. Prior to coming to UAMS, Dr. Sakariya practiced at Essentia Health-Moorhead Clinic in Minnesota. She was also a Clinical Research Coordinator for the Veterans Affairs Long Beach Health Care System.

Geriatrics

Syed Danish Hasan, M.D., has joined the Department of Geriatrics as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Hasan received his medical degree and interned at Dow Medical College in Karachi, Pakistan. He completed a clinical rotation in the Hemophilia Center at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, a postdoctoral research fellowship at Washington University School of Medicine and an elective rotation in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at St. Louis University Hospital. Dr. Hasan completed his residency in internal medicine at St. Luke’s Hospital in St. Louis and a fellowship in geriatric medicine at St. Louis University Hospital. He sees patients in the Thomas and Lyon Longevity Clinic.

Priya Priyambada, M.D., has joined the Department of Geriatrics as an Assistant Professor. Dr. Priyambada received her medical degree from Kathmandu University School of Medicine in Nepal. She completed residency training in the UAMS Department of Family and Preventive Medicine (DFPM) in 2015, earning the Kenneth G. Goss Physician-Patient Relationship Award. She continued her training with a geriatrics fellowship at UAMS in 2016 and joined the DFPM faculty. She transferred to the Department of Geriatrics, where she sees patients in the Thomas and Lyon Longevity Clinic, this month.

Internal Medicine

Harriet Kose Kayanja, M.D, Ph.D., has joined the Department of Internal Medicine as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. Dr. Kayanja received her medical degree from Mbarara University of Science and Technology in Uganda. She completed her internal medicine residency and pulmonary and critical care fellowship at University Hospital Case Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Prior to joining UAMS, Dr. Kayanja practiced in Dayton, Ohio.

Uncontrolled bleeding is the number one cause of preventable death from trauma. It only takes four to seven minutes to bleed to death from a serious injury — a short timeframe that often doesn’t give first responders enough time to get to the scene, much less get the injured person to a hospital.

Q: So what can be done?

A: Teach more people how to stop the bleed.

The Stop the Bleed program wants to ensure that anyone — not just first responders and health care professionals — is equipped with the knowledge and tools to stop a serious bleeding injury.

“Anyone can learn to do this,” said Ronald Robertson, M.D., medical director of trauma and chief of the Division of Trauma, Critical Care and Acute Surgery in the UAMS College of Medicine’s Department of Surgery.

At the March 29 UAMS Stop the Bleed Awareness Day event, about 150 attendees were shown how to pack a wound, apply pressure and secure a tourniquet. Information was also available about a two-to-three hour certification course.

“I can’t stress how important this information is,” said Robertson. “Knowing how to perform these skills could save your life or the lives of the people you love.”

The UAMS Stop the Bleed group also presented two awards during the event. The Above and Beyond Award was presented to the Little Rock Police Department (LRPD) and Chief Kenyon Buckner “in appreciation for your dedication, commitment and outstanding police performance in the saving of human life.”

All members of the LRPD have tourniquets in their cars and have been trained how to use them, said J.R. Taylor, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of Trauma, Critical Care and Acute Surgery.

Buckner said this training has already saved lives in Little Rock.

“During the Power Lounge shooting July 1, 2017, 25 people were shot,” he said. “All of them survived. Police applied five tourniquets and two chest seals in the field before MEMS was cleared to reach the scene.”

Clayton Goddard, MEMS special operations supervisor, received the Golden Tourniquet Award for “his extraordinary achievement, dedicated service and commitment to The Arkansas Stop the Bleed Initiative.”

Goddard took his military training and applied it to his civilian job, said Robertson. “Before Stop the Bleed became a national endeavor, Clayton was already doing it in Arkansas.”

Thanks to Goddard, Robertson said, more than 5,000 law enforcement officers in Arkansas have been trained in techniques to keep a person from bleeding to death. Goddard also approached the Arkansas Board of Education so he could train school nurses, who could then train teachers, in Stop the Bleed techniques.

A video featuring Goddard was also shown at the event, as was one by North American Rescue showing various tourniquet application techniques.

Beverly Smith isn’t used to being held back.

The now-retired Cabot resident loves to be on the move. She longs to travel. She lives for cruises and trips with her husband, and the freedom to do as they please.

Last year, that way of life came to an abrupt halt when knee pain sidelined her. X-rays and scans revealed her knee was fine, but her right hip was not. A total replacement was necessary.

“I thought I was too young,” said the 63-year-old Smith. “I wasn’t ready for it.”

Smith turned to UAMS for help. She was treated by Paul Edwards, M.D., a hip-and-knee surgeon at UAMS and a professor in the UAMS College of Medicine’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. Any worries she had were soon put at ease by Edwards and the rest of the UAMS orthopaedics staff.

“I thought I couldn’t be so lucky, I felt comfortable with Dr. Edwards,” said Smith. “It was like talking with someone I knew. He talked to me and showed me what was wrong. I got incredible quality care from Dr. Edwards and the entire staff at UAMS.”

Smith’s hip showed signs of osteoarthritis, as the result of wear and tear in the hip joint from arthritis.

“A normal hip joint has a ball and room for cartilage, but Mrs. Edwards’s hip had no cartilage space and had a few cysts,” said Edwards. “This causes a lot of debilitating pain, which makes almost any activity hard to do.”

Immediately following the procedure, Smith noticed an odd feeling in her hip.

“The pain was gone,” she said.

Edwards said research shows the UAMS method of having an individualized plan for each patient is the most successful approach to having good outcomes rather than relying on a new technique of using robotic-arm technology.

At UAMS, the orthopaedics staff meets with patients and their families to talk about the procedure and recovery process as well as identify and lessen possible risk factors.

“They put me at ease and it made a difference,” said Smith. “A huge difference.”

Each UAMS orthopaedic surgeon specializes in a particular area. This includes hip and knee, foot and ankle, sports medicine and trauma. Four are fellowship trained in hip and knee replacement, the most of any joint replacement provider in Arkansas.

“This allows us to narrow our focus and stay up to date on the best practices in our area, which translates to superb care for our patients,” said Edwards.

A designated staff of nurses and health professionals care for patients following surgery. Post-operative care includes a visit with a physical therapist to begin recovery. Most patients return home within 24 hours of their surgery.

“This plan decreases hospital readmissions, as well as complications and infections,” said Edwards. “It improves patient outcomes in a way new robotic technology has not been able to accomplish.”

Smith said since her care at UAMS, she has been able to return to the lifestyle she loves.

“I can do anything and I don’t hurt,” she said. “With pain, you’re limited. Now I don’t feel any limitations to anything.”

By Lee Hogan| April 2nd, 2018 |