Dr. King is a hospitalist for the Family Medicine service. He graduated from UAMS in 1984 and completed his postgraduate training at Family Medicine Spokane (Washington). He was in private practice for 15 years in Spokane and later worked urgent care and emergency medicine before moving to hospital medicine. He was previously employed by UAMS in El Dorado at the AHEC (now Regional Programs) residency as interim residency director where he lead the program through successful accreditation. Through his career he has been involved in medical education at various levels, and he loves teaching. One of his most fulfilling medical endeavors was working in a refugee camp in Ethiopia during the famine of 1985. Dr. King is happily married to Beth and is the father of two beautiful girls, Mary and Lydia.
Jamie Howard, M.D.
Dr. Howard joined our faculty in 1981. In March 2026, she retired but will continue to precept in our clinic. Her career is marked by a deep commitment to quality care and innovation, and her leadership has been instrumental in quality improvement, patient care, institutional health, and technological advancement. To list just a few of her leadership roles: Co-Medical Director for Primary Care QI for the UAMS Integrated Medicine Service Line – achieving Level 3 PCMH Designation for the UAMS FMC – Medical Director for Student and Employee Health Services. Let’s not forget her role as a Certified Epic Physician Builder and her success in obtaining research grants. We are happy that she will still play an important role in the residency program and the department.
Diane Jarrett, Ed.D., M.A.
Dr. Jarrett joined the DFPM faculty in 2008. For 15 years, she was a member of the management team of the UAMS Little Rock Family Medicine residency program, where she was the Assistant Director and also the DFPM Director of Education and Communications. In 2023, she was named Director of the brand new DFPM Office of Communication and Departmental Relations and Co-Director of the DFPM Office of Leadership and Professional Development. Dr. Jarrett is the recipient of the UAMS College of Medicine Dean’s Educational Excellence Award, the DFPM Advancing Excellence in Education and Inclusive Leadership Award, the Dr. Edith Irby Jones Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion Award, and the UAMS College of Medicine MVP Award. In 2024, she was selected as co-editor for the STFM Education Column, which spotlights educational innovations in Family Medicine. In 2023, she was awarded the Sandra L. Panther Fellowship in the History of Medicine from the American Academy of Family Physicians. Over the years, she has made presentations at conferences everywhere from New York to Denver to Saskatchewan. She holds the rank of Associate Professor and is a member of the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, the American Educational Research Association, and Mensa International. Dr. Jarrett’s master’s degree is in journalism/mass communication and her doctorate is in higher education. When she isn’t working, she enjoys writing about classic films. She has had five publications in the international journal Films of the Golden Age — biographical essays on William Boyd, George Macready, Micky Moore, and Jack Doyle, and an analysis of the 1943 film The Seventh Victim. Her publications in Classic Images include profiles of actors Richard Todd, Ray Dixon, Frank Albertson, and Dan Frazer, along with World War I ace/actor Charles Nungesser and director Carl Theodor Dreyer.
Shashank Kraleti, M.D., FAAFP
Dr. Kraleti is the Garnett Chair of the UAMS Department of Family and Preventive Medicine and Senior Vice President for the UAMS HEalth Network. He is also Director of the Primary Care and Population Health Service Line, where he provides oversight for clinical and population health initiatives for Arkansas. He serves as Medical Director for the UAMS Division of Community and Health Education, is recognized as a leader in clinical informatics, and serves on the UAMS core informatics group. From 2016 to 2023, he was the Director of the Little Rock Family Medicine Residency Program, where he was honored with the Jack W. Kennedy Chair in Family and Preventive Medicine. He is a graduate of the Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors (AFMRD) National Institute for Program Director Development and a fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). Dr. Kraleti has a faculty appointment as Associate Professor with tenure in the clinical educator pathway, and he has written multiple peer-reviewed publications and has made presentations at national and international forums. His community outreach experience includes television appearances and authoring a series of newspaper columns on health issues. Among his many awards are the ACGME Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award, the New Faculty Scholar Award from the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine, the AFMRD Program Director Recognition Award, the AFMRD/AAFP Award for Scholarship, the AFMRD Resident Scholarship Award, and the DFPM Outstanding Teacher Award. When he is away from work, Dr. Kraleti serves as the President of the Global Illumine Corporation, a non-profit organization that transforms lives by supporting the education of underserved young people. He is the Chair of the Charity Committee for the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, and the Vice-President of the Hindu Temple of Central Arkansas. On his own time, he enjoys music, movies, traveling, swimming, and spending time with his kids.