Diversity Equity Inclusion

INSIGHT Into Diversity Magazine Names UAMS as Recipient of Health Professions HEED Award

By Chris Carmody

Nov. 17, 2022 | LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has again been chosen as a recipient of the Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, the oldest and largest diversity-focused publication in higher education.

UAMS is among 63 recipients that will be featured in the magazine’s December issue. The university first received the INSIGHT Into Diversity honor in 2021.

The national award recognizes health colleges and universities that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion. UAMS received the additional honor of being named a “Diversity Champion,” having scored in the top tier of all HEED Award winners.

“To be recognized as a champion for diversity is a testament to the time and effort that UAMS and the Division for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DDEI) have invested in creating programs for the benefit of our faculty, staff, students and patients,” said Brian Gittens, Ed.D., MPA, the vice chancellor for DDEI. “This award reflects UAMS’ position as a national leader in the areas of diversity, equity and inclusion in higher education.”

HEED Award recipients go through an application process that includes questions about their recruitment and retention of students and employees, leadership support for diversity, and other aspects of campus diversity and inclusion. Lenore Pearlstein, publisher of INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine, said the publication rigorously reviews each application and maintains a high standard for the institutions it chooses.

UAMS’ application highlighted its student- and employee-led organizations that work to make the campus a more inclusive place for veterans, individuals with disabilities and members of the LGBTQ community. It also noted DDEI’s commitment to making health care careers attainable for students across Arkansas, especially those from underrepresented or underserved groups. The division’s outreach initiatives serve children from kindergarten through 12^th grade as well as students in undergraduate programs.

“These initiatives have thrived because of the support we’ve received from members of the UAMS community,” Gittens said. “It’s the leaders, faculty and students who make it possible for us to continue cultivating an environment that’s inclusive for all individuals.”UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute and Institute for Digital Health & Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,240 students, 913 medical residents and fellows, and five dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 11,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.

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Dr. Jerrilyn Jones Awarded 2021 Arkansas First Lady’s Woman in Public Service

In 2016, the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas presented the inaugural First Lady’s Woman in Public Service award. WFA established the award in partnership with Arkansas First Lady Susan Hutchinson to celebrate and acknowledge a woman who is committed to empowering and inspiring women and girls through a career in public service.

The 2021 awardee is our own Dr. Jerrilyn Jones. Read more about the award on the WFA website. Dr. Jones will be honored at the Power of the Purse event on September 22.

Community Outreach: Women and Children First July Needs Drive

Our department recently donated items to Women & Children First: The Center Against Family Violence.

The Center posted thanks on its Facebook page:

“We were floored by the amount of donations that the UAMS Department of Emergency Medicine collected for the victims we serve! They took our Top 10 list and ran with it!

Their generosity blew us away and we are so thankful for their support and partnership. Thank you for helping us provide safety, strength, and hope to all victims of family violence.”

Women & Children First is Central Arkansas’s largest domestic violence shelter, offering emergency shelter and on-going advocacy and support services. For the past 40 years, Women and Children First has worked tirelessly to empower women and their children to live independently and free from domestic violence. WCF provides crisis intervention, safe shelter, social and legal advocacy and support services. The Center’s Emergency Services include a 24-Hour Statewide Domestic Violence Hotline (1-800-332-4443) and a 54-bed emergency shelter. Education and Support Services include outreach programs such as support groups; advocacy programs; court advocacy and accompaniment; community housing; children’s programs; adult education; and community outreach. In addition, through community outreach projects, the Center works to educate the public about domestic violence and dating violence.

Dr. Bouldin at Walk with a Doc

Dr. Bouldin was a featured guest at the UAMS Walk with a Doc event in July. Watch the video from KARK:

UAMS Walk with a Doc

Watch this video on YouTube

UAMS Ranked Seventh in Nation on Forbes Magazine’s Best Employers for Diversity List

By Spencer Watson

LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has been ranked seventh nationally on an annual list of Best Employers for Diversity created by Forbes magazine.

The rankings are based on independent surveys of more than 50,000 people in workplaces of more than 1,000 employees. They include both direct and indirect recommendations and consider both diversity in executive leadership and institutional efforts to promote diversity in the workplace.

“I have always said that at UAMS our diversity is our superpower, enabling us to do great things,” said Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, chancellor of UAMS and CEO of UAMS Health. “Diversity and inclusion are part of our core values at UAMS and inform all parts of our mission to research, educate and provide care.”

The survey included consideration of general diversity as well as gauging participant’s perceptions of each employer’s approach to gender and ethnic diversity, as well as LGBTQ+ representation and accommodation of employees with disabilities.

“This national ranking is an accomplishment for all of our employees at UAMS, because it is a team effort. Diversity and inclusion require an individual commitment to our common goal of creating a welcoming atmosphere in which everyone feels respected and valued,” said Brian Gittens, Ed.D., MPA, vice chancellor for diversity, equity and inclusion.

“We are committed to having a workforce that represents the people we serve, and those values are reflected in our policies and practices in hiring and advancement, so that across our institution all voices can be heard,” added Danielle Lombard-Sims, Ph.D., vice chancellor and chief human resources officer.

The complete listing of Forbes Best Employers for Diversity and a full explanation of the methodology are available at www.forbes.com/best-employers-diversity/.

Dr. Jerrilyn Jones is Inaugural Director of the Post-Baccalaureate Program

Dr. Jerrilyn Jones will be the inaugural Director of the UAMS Post Baccalaureate Program within the College of Medicine. As many of you know, she was recently promoted to Associate Professor of EM and has been serving our state as the Medical Director of Preparedness at ADH. What a year it has been for Dr. Jones!

This innovative program is designed to create an educational bridge for Arkansas residents who come from socially, economically or geographically disadvantaged backgrounds who have faced challenges in the medical school admissions process. This program will develop and prepare them with the advanced critical thinking skills and additional foundational knowledge they would need to be successfully admitted and graduate from the UAMS COM. Students in this program will also have the option of completing a Masters of Public Health degree at UAMS.