ACGME Institutional Requirements (I.B.1.) state COM GMEC membership must include: a representative sample of program directors (minimum of two) from its ACGME-accredited programs; a minimum of two peer-selected residents/fellows from among its ACGME-accredited programs; and a quality improvement or patient safety officer or designee.
The following individuals are members of the 2025-26 COM GMEC:
GMEC Chair (July 2025-present):
Alice Alexander, MD, FAAP, FACP
Associate Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, Program Director Med-Peds Residency, Vice Chair for Education, Department of Internal Medicine
GMEC Members:
Ahmed Abuabdou, MD, MBA
Chief Clinical Officer, UAMS Hospital
Meer Ali, MD
Associate Professor and Gastroenterology Fellowship Associate Program Director
Kostas Arnaoutakis, MD
Professor and Hematology-Oncology Fellowship Program Director
Melanie Bainter, BS
Program Coordinator, Neurosurgery
*Brenda Burks, MA
Accreditation Manager, GME
Nicholas Callais, MD
Peer Selected Resident, Surgery
Ethan Clement, MD
Peer Selected Resident, Emergency Medicine
Mallory Crawford, MD
Peer Selected Resident, Resident Council Co-Chair, Psychiatry
Stanley Ellis, EdD, CFD, CPP, MS
Associate Professor, Obstetrics & Gynecology, GME Director Evaluation and Assessment
Lauren Evans, MD
Associate Professor, Emergency Medicine Residency Program Director
Hank Farrar, MD
Professor, Pediatrics and GME Work Hours Chair
Karen Farst, MD, MPH
Chief Medical Officer, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Professor, Pediatrics
Jill Fussell, MD
Professor, Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics Vice Chair for Fellowship Education, Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics Fellowship Director
Rani Gardner, MD
Associate Professor and Residency Program Director, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Molly Gathright, MD
Professor, Psychiatry, Executive Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education and Designated Institutional Official
Sarah Beth Harrington, MD
Professor and Director, Division of Palliative Medicine, Assistant Designated Institutional Official
Jeffery Henson, MD
Peer Selected Resident, Internal Medicine
Mary Katherine Kimbrough, MD
Professor and Vice Chair for Education, Surgery
*Jennie Kirby, MPA
GME Director
Richard Kyle, MD, FAANS
Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks, Associate Chief of Staff for Education
Rebecca Latch, MD
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Medical Education and Assistant DIO, Arkansas Children’s Hospital
Riley Lide, MD
Residency Program Director, Anesthesiology
Michael Lowry, MD
Assistant Professor, Internal Medicine and Associate Program Director, Infectious Disease Fellowship
Dwana McKay Yarberry, BS
Assistant Dean for Housestaff Affairs
Jessica Mitchell, MBA
Medical Staff Services Director, Arkansas Children’s Hospital
Heather Moore, MD
Assistant Professor and Program Director, Hospice and Palliative Medicine Fellowship
Divya Nayar, MD
Peer Selected Resident, Neurology
Abby Nolder, MD
GMEC Immediate Past Chair, Associate Professor and Vice Chair for Education, Otolaryngology
Shanna Palmer, MD
Associate Chief of Staff for Education, Central Arkansas Veteran’s Health Services
Becca Perin, MD
Assistant Professor and Residency Program Director, Transitional Year
Kelly Pollnow, C-TAGME
Program Coordinator, Pulmonary Critical Care Fellowship
Gilberto Riveria Dominguez, MD
Peer Selected Resident, Resident Council Co-Chair, Family Medicine
Thea Rosenbaum, MD, MBA
Chief Quality and Clinical Transformation Officer, Associate Chief Medical Officer, Professor, Anesthesiology
Sarah Shalin, MD
Department Chair, Pathology
*Kelly Simon, MEd
Technology Integration Manager, GME
Carol Thrush, EdD
Professor, Surgery and Medicine, Director of Institutional Education, Innovation and Scholarship for GME
*Leah Timmons, MPA
Education Manager, GME
Pele Yu, MD
Professor, Pediatrics, Chief of Clinical Informatics and Program Director, Clinical Informatics Fellowship, Arkansas Children’s Hospital
Stacy Zimmerman, MD (guest member)
Designated Institutional Official, UAMS Regional Programs
*Non-Voting Members