UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute Achieves $30 Million Fundraising Goal for NCI Designation

By Andrew Vogler

LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) met its $30 million fundraising goal for the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute’s campaign to achieve National Cancer Institute (NCI) Designation.

The fundraising milestone was achieved with a $5 million gift from the Chris Fowler family of Jonesboro. In total, 8,700 philanthropic gifts have been received from Arkansans and donors across the U.S. to support this campaign.

“Reaching our fundraising goal is exciting news, and I know it will embolden UAMS to work harder in achieving our overall goal of NCI Designation, which will have a profound impact on UAMS and Arkansas,” said Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, UAMS chancellor and CEO of UAMS Health. “Huge credit for this achievement of course goes to the many donors who have championed this campaign. I would especially like to thank the Chris Fowler family, who made significant contributions that realized this goal.”

UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute Achieves $30 Million Fundraising Goal for NCI Designation

From left: Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, Sen. Jonathan Dismang, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Chris Fowler, Michael Birrer, M.D., Ph.D., and Kevin Crass.

Walker Foundation Pledges $1 Million to UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute — Funds Will Support New Radiation Oncology Center

By Andrew Vogler

LITTLE ROCK — The Willard & Pat Walker Charitable Foundation pledged $1 Million to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute.

“We are humbled by the decades-long support of the Walker Foundation — a relationship that has helped elevate UAMS in becoming a first-class provider of care in our region,” said Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, UAMS chancellor and CEO of UAMS Health. “Willard and Pat Walker’s generosity was inspiring, and, as seen with the Radiation Oncology Center, their legacy of philanthropy continues to benefit many Arkansans.”

The UAMS Radiation Oncology Center, a $65 million, 58,000-square-foot structure at 3900 W. Capitol Ave. in Little Rock, was built to accommodate three new linear accelerators that customize radiation delivery based on the type and stage of a patient’s cancer. It is the only cancer center in Arkansas to offer Ethos Adaptive Therapy, a unique form of X-ray radiation that adapts to daily changes in a tumor’s shape and position over the course of treatment.

Walker Foundation Pledges $1 Million to UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute — Funds Will Support New Radiation Oncology Center

UAMS, Arkansas Children’s, Baptist Health and Proton International Open State’s First Proton Center

By Marty Trieschmann

UAMS Chancellor Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA Evan Lewis

The Proton Center of Arkansas opened September 27, 2023, at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), becoming the first proton therapy center in Arkansas and only the 43rd in the nation to provide the most advanced cancer radiation treatment in the world.

Proton therapy is a cutting-edge form of radiation that uses positively charged proton particles to destroy tumors, often in hard-to-reach areas, with greater precision and significantly less damage to healthy organs and tissues. Patients receiving proton therapy have less severe and fewer side effects than conventional X-ray radiation, which improves their recovery time and quality of life.

“What started more than three years ago with a shared vision to bring the most advanced cancer therapy to Arkansas is finally here,” said UAMS Chancellor Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA. “It’s a proud day for UAMS and for health care in Arkansas as we join a small, elite group of states that offer this groundbreaking therapy for children and adults with cancer.”

https://news.uams.edu/2023/09/27/uams-arkansas-childrens-baptist-health-and-proton-international-open-states-first-proton-center/

UAMS Opens First Milk Bank in Arkansas

By Andrew Vogler

LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) opened the UAMS Milk Bank, the first facility of its kind in Arkansas, during a Sept. 6 ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Donald R. Bobbitt, president of the University of Arkansas System, addressed guests at the ceremony.Andrew Vogler

Located in the Monroe Building just off UAMS’ main campus in Little Rock, the Milk Bank is a facility that focuses on the health of mothers and newborns in Arkansas through encouragement and support of breastfeeding. The new milk bank will help ensure a ready supply of donor milk for sick and vulnerable infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICU) around the state, shortening the time it takes for regional hospitals to receive critical milk supplies and improving outcomes for babies.

Previously, Arkansas hospitals relied on donor milk purchased from milk banks in Texas, Michigan, Illinois and Oklahoma, costing more than $1 million a year.

https://news.uams.edu/2023/09/06/uams-opens-first-milk-bank-in-arkansas/

UAMS Health Opens New Urology Center

By Kate Franks

LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) today opened a new Urology Center in Premier Medical Plaza at 10915 Rodney Parham Road in west Little Rock.

“Expanding into this west Little Rock location helps UAMS fulfill our mission to improve the health and well-being of all Arkansans by making services more readily available,” said Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, UAMS chancellor and CEO of UAMS Health. “One of the attractions of this site is its ample parking, easy access to public transportation and convenient location right off Interstate 430. We are committed to making health care more accessible in all forms.”

The new Urology Center will offer specialized treatment for complex kidney stones, reconstruction of the urinary system and men’s health, specifically erectile dysfunction, along with top-quality routine urology services. UAMS urologists at the Urology Center will provide comprehensive state-of-the-art urologic care with endoscopic, robotic, laparoscopic and open surgery techniques.

https://news.uams.edu/2023/04/24/uams-health-opens-new-urology-center/

Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, UAMS chancellor and CEO of UAMS Health, and Timothy Langford, M.D., chair of the Department of Urology in the UAMS College of Medicine, had the honor of cutting the ribbon during the opening ceremony. Image by Evan Lewis

UAMS Announces a Partnership with Amedisys and Contessa, Creating a Comprehensive Care at Home Suite of Services

By UAMS News Staff

LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), Amedisys (NASDAQ: AMED), a leading health care at home company, and Contessa, an Amedisys company and the leading comprehensive care at home provider, announced a partnership bringing a new care at home option to Central Arkansas. The joint venture offers patients a full spectrum of medical care in the comfort and convenience of their own homes.

“UAMS is leading the ambitious goal of making Arkansas the healthiest state in the region, and this strategic initiative supercharges that vision,” said Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, UAMS chancellor and CEO of UAMS Health. “We are thrilled to partner with Contessa and Amedisys to bring this first-of-its-kind model to the region and the first Comprehensive Care at Home program to the state. We look forward to giving our patients an innovative option that delivers on our commitment of community-focused, patient-centered care.”

https://news.uams.edu/2022/10/11/uams-announces-a-partnership-with-amedisys-and-contessa-creating-a-comprehensive-care-at-home-suite-of-services/

UAMS is partnering with Amedisys and Contessa, to bring a new care at home option to Central Arkansas.

UAMS Breaks Ground on Child Development Center

By Chris Carmody

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) broke ground today on a nearly $10 million Child Development Center on a four-acre property in Little Rock.

The approximately 20,000-square-foot Child Development Center will be built at the intersection of 11th and Monroe streets, just south of the Hillary Rodham Clinton Children’s Library and across Interstate 630 from the UAMS campus. The facility is expected to open in spring 2024.

Chancellor Cam Patterson stands with Jeannette “Jan” Shorey, professor emerita in the UAMS College of Medicine. Image by Bryan Clifton

The center will be able to provide services for about 200 children, from infancy through prekindergarten, UAMS employees, and students. Of those, 10% of the slots will be reserved for the children of employees who live in the surrounding community, and another 10% will go to workers or students who qualify for Child Care and Development Fund vouchers through the Arkansas Department of Human Services.

https://news.uams.edu/2022/09/14/uams-breaks-ground-on-child-development-center/

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Chancellor Cam Patterson speaks Wednesday during the groundbreaking ceremony for the Child Development Center project in Little Rock. Image by Bryan Clifton

UAMS Part of New Statewide Core Facilities Exchange for Researchers

By David Robinson

Feb. 11, 2022 | The Arkansas Research Alliance (ARA) on Tuesday launched the Core Facilities Exchange (CFE), which allows researchers across Arkansas to share resources and equipment. The CFE is a partnership with the six major research facilities in Arkansas, including the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).

The launch and demonstration of the web-based CFE platform included remarks by UAMS Chancellor Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, who endorsed UAMS’ participation and expressed his excitement for researchers across Arkansas who now have access to state-of-the-art technologies and core resources that enable cutting-edge research.

https://news.uams.edu/2022/02/11/uams-part-of-new-statewide-core-facilities-exchange-for-researchers/

The Core Facilities Exchange (CFE) allows researchers across Arkansas to share resources and equipment.

UAMS Chancellor expects Omicron unknowns to be solved by Christmas

The Omicron variant that has become a major concern for public health officials is undergoing rigorous testing and UAMS Chancellor Dr. Cam Patterson expects to have many questions answered before Christmas, he said in a Sunday (Dec. 5) interview on Talk Business & Politics.

How transmissible is the variant? Does Omicron make people sicker than previous strains of COVID-19? How do the vaccines that have been developed hold up against Omicron? These are mysteries Patterson expects science to solve in the next few weeks.

“I think we’ll have pretty good answers to the unknown questions within the next couple of weeks, certainly before Christmas holiday,” he said. “There are a lot of unknowns. What we do know is that it is spreading globally. It’s now in the United States, it’s in Canada. It will eventually get to Arkansas I suspect before the next week or two is out and we’ll start detecting this variant here in the state of Arkansas. And because there’s so much uncertainty it’s difficult to know how to react.”

https://talkbusiness.net/2021/12/uams-chancellor-expects-omicron-unknowns-to-be-solved-by-christmas/

Michael Hibblen/KUAR News

UAMS Chancellor Dr. Cam Patterson, seen here making an announcement last month, said he expects researchers will know within a few weeks how dangerous the omicron variant of the coronavirus is compared to the delta variant.

Delta Variant Overrunning NEA Hospital Systems; Jonesboro Mayor Urging Vaccines

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

Arkansas has become one of the hot spots in the country for the spread of the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus, and Northeast Arkansas is feeling the impact.

During the last 14 days, the number of hospitalizations in Arkansas has doubled to 687. UAMS Chancellor Dr. Cam Patterson recently told Talk Business & Politics the number of cases and hospitalizations is rising dramatically and is being fueled by the lack of vaccinations.

Patterson said the Delta variant is much more contagious, and has the potential to be more lethal. The average age of patients admitted during the last COVID-19 surge was in the 60s, but that number has dropped to people in their 40s and several patients have had to have lung and heart bypasses.

https://talkbusiness.net/2021/07/delta-variant-overrunning-nea-hospital-systems-jonesboro-mayor-urging-vaccines/

UAMS Chancellor: Hospital Full, Bed And Staffing Shortage Imminent

By ROBY BROCK / TALK BUSINESS & POLITICS

Health officials have been sounding the warning for weeks on the Delta variant of COVID-19, but it has yet to slow down the public health threat. Now, UAMS Chancellor Dr. Cam Patterson says the new strain of COVID-19 is overwhelming Arkansas’ health care system.

In a tweet Saturday, Patterson said, “The hospital @uamshealth is full. COVID-19 numbers increase every day. We are staffing inpatients in the ER and recovery room. No space for transfers. Running out of caregivers. Support health care workers. Mask up. Get vaxxed.”

Appearing on Sunday’s edition of Talk Business & Politics, Patterson said the disease is different from a year ago when the state was paralyzed by the coronavirus.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/post/uams-chancellor-hospital-full-bed-and-staffing-shortage-imminent

A sign directs people to a drive-thru COVID-19 testing location at UAMS.

CREDIT MICHAEL HIBBLEN / KUAR NEWS

Delta Variant Could Cause Third Surge In Arkansas COVID Cases, UAMS Chancellor Says

By ALEXANDRIA BROWN

New COVID-19 cases in Arkansas continue to climb and officials say the rapdily spreading delta variant and people not being vaccinated is the key reason why. The Department of Health reported 479 new cases Tuesday, along with eight additional deaths from COVID-19. 

At his weekly press briefing Tuesday, Gov. Asa Hutchinson urged Arkansans to take safety measures when participating in 4th of July activities to stop the spread of the virus.

“We have the delta variant predominant, moving into Arkansas, and we have to take that very seriously," Hutchinson said. "It is more contagious, it has more consequences in terms of health, and so take care of yourself and follow the guidelines which really is social distancing, wearing a mask if you have not been vaccinated.”

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/post/delta-variant-could-cause-third-surge-arkansas-covid-cases-uams-chancellor-says

Dr. Cam Patterson, chancellor of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, speaking at Gov. Asa Hutchinson's weekly press briefing Tuesday.

CREDIT GOVERNOR'S OFFICE / YOUTUBE

UAMS, Baptist Health Partner on New Cancer Care Initiative

by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences announced to employees on Tuesday (June 1) that it is collaborating on a new cancer care initiative with Little Rock-based Baptist Health.

“Building on our longstanding relationship, UAMS and Baptist Health are taking steps to expand the innovative and unique oncological care found at our Cancer Institute, starting with the opening in the near future of the UAMS Baptist Health Cancer Center on Baptist’s North Little Rock campus,” UAMS Chancellor Dr. Cam Patterson revealed in a memo to employees.

Patterson said locations for additional new UAMS Baptist Health cancer centers are not final yet, but Baptist’s statewide footprint stretches from Fort Smith through central Arkansas and ranges from north central Arkansas into south Arkansas.

https://talkbusiness.net/2021/06/uams-baptist-health-partner-on-new-cancer-care-initiative/

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences announced Tuesday it is partnering with Baptist Health on a new cancer-care initiative.

CREDIT UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS FOR MEDICAL SCIENCES

UAMS Breaks Ground on New Radiation Oncology Center, Will House First Proton Center in Arkansas

By Linda Satter

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) broke ground today on an expanded Radiation Oncology Center, which will be home to Arkansas’ first Proton Center.

The Radiation Oncology Center, part of the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, already offers cutting-edge technologies to provide the latest radiation treatments. It will continue to provide those services, as well as new ones using the expanded capabilities of three new linear accelerators, as it relocates in 2023 to a new 52,249 square-foot-building facing Capitol Avenue, between Pine and Cedar streets.

The new three-story structure, located southeast of the BioVentures building, is being built primarily to accommodate a proton center — one of fewer than 40 that exist nationwide — in partnership with Arkansas Children’s, Baptist Health and Proton International.

https://news.uams.edu/2021/05/25/uams-breaks-ground-on-new-radiation-oncology-center-will-house-first-proton-center-in-arkansas/

Gov. Asa Hutchinson speaks Tuesday at the groundbreaking ceremony for the UAMS Radiation Oncology Center as UAMS Chancellor Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, looks on. The expanded Radiation Oncology Center will house Arkansas’ first Proton Center, a partnership between UAMS, Baptist Health, Arkansas Children's and Proton International. Image by Evan Lewis

UAMS Seeks Approval for $85 million Ortho/Sports Medicine Building in Northwest Arkansas

by Paul Gatling (pgatling@nwabj.com)

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) will seek approval Wednesday (March 17) to build an $85 million orthopedic and sports medicine facility in Northwest Arkansas.

Consideration of the project is part of the two-day agenda of the University of Arkansas System board of trustees meeting that begins Wednesday.

According to agenda materials, UAMS Chancellor Dr. Cam Patterson will recommend Marlon Blackwell Architects with DSC Architects to lead the 185,000-square-foot building’s design. Nabholz Construction will be recommended as the general contractor.

The building will include up to 12 operating rooms and a limited number of patient beds. The building’s specialty clinics will consist of sports performance, physical therapy, orthopedic, imaging, research and education.

https://talkbusiness.net/2021/03/uams-seeks-approval-for-85-million-ortho-sports-medicine-building-in-northwest-arkansas/

UAMS Chancellor Reflects On Lessons Learned From COVID-19 Pandemic

By ROBY BROCK / TALK BUSINESS & POLITICS

UAMS Chancellor Dr. Cam Patterson said there have been lessons learned one year into the COVID-19 pandemic.

In Arkansas, there have been more than 5,400 deaths and over 325,000 identified coronavirus cases. Patterson said it’s put a huge strain on the state’s healthcare system and made the year “seem like a decade.”

That said, UAMS and other healthcare providers adapted to the huge influx of patients. He’s proud of the response, and he anticipates it won’t be the last time a plan for a pandemic is needed.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/post/uams-chancellor-reflects-lessons-learned-covid-19-pandemic

UAMS Chancellor Cam Patterson (at the podium) alongside Gov. Asa Hutchinson and a sign language interpreter at a press conference on the coronavirus on May 8, 2020.

CREDIT GOVERNOR'S OFFICE