UAMS

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In a first for Arkansas, UAMS uses NanoKnife technology to treat prostate cancer

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By Linda Satter

LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) recently became the first provider in Arkansas of NanoKnife technology, a new form of focal therapy for localized prostate cancer.

Focal therapy is a minimally invasive outpatient procedure that uses different forms of energy to target only the area of the prostate where cancerous cells are located and destroy them while sparing damage to surrounding tissue. It carries a lower risk of side effects — such as erectile dysfunction and urinary incontinence — than radiation and surgery, which are the other treatments for prostate cancer.

The NanoKnife form of focal therapy uses irreversible electroporation (IRE), which consists of short, high-voltage electrical pulses, to isolate the tumor without overtreating the entire prostate gland.

In a First for Arkansas, UAMS Uses NanoKnife Technology to Treat Prostate Cancer

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Looking Toward the Future: Myeloma Center Celebrates 35th Anniversary

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By Nathan Tidwell

The Myeloma Center, located in the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), has firmly established itself as an international leader in myeloma treatment. From its beginnings in 1989, UAMS’ myeloma program is recognized for detailed patient care, groundbreaking research and pioneering advances in the management of myeloma and its related conditions.

From the Total Therapy approach, the introduction of tandem autologous transplants, the creation of a prediction model for stem cell collection and the current implementation of innovative immunotherapies, the path towards a cure for myeloma continues — with UAMS leading the way.

Myeloma Center Clinical Director Frits van Rhee, M.D., Ph.D., and his team embrace the task of developing new methods of treating this disease.

Looking Toward the Future: Myeloma Center Celebrates 35th Anniversary

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Cardiothoracic Surgeon Mark O. Hardin, M.D., Joins UAMS

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By Linda Satter

LITTLE ROCK — Mark O. Hardin, M.D., a cardiothoracic surgeon with a focus on adult cardiac surgery, has joined the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine Department of Surgery.

Hardin received his medical degree from UAMS in 2007 and has returned after spending several years as a general surgeon in the U.S. Army and three years as a cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon at the Arkansas Heart Hospital.

“We are so pleased to have Dr. Hardin join the Department of Surgery,” said Ronald Robertson, M.D., chair of the department. “He brings an exceptional skill set in cardiovascular surgery. We look forward to growth in cardiovascular surgery under the leadership of Dr. Hardin and Dr. Streitman.”

Cardiothoracic Surgeon Mark O. Hardin, M.D., Joins UAMS

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UAMS Health Weight Management Clinic Adds Bariatric Surgery to Weight Loss Offerings

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By Yavonda Chase

LITTLE ROCK — Effective today, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has added bariatric surgery to the weight loss options offered at the UAMS Health Medical and Surgical Weight Management Clinic.

“We are pleased to be able to offer bariatric surgery to our patients who have been unable to lose weight using other interventions such as medication, exercise or dietary changes,” said Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, UAMS chancellor and CEO of UAMS Health. “We know obesity is a disease that affects far too many in our state, and we are committed to helping Arkansans lose weight effectively and safely.”

Arkansas has an adult obesity rate of 40%, the third highest among all states and the District of Columbia, according to a 2024 study by the Trust for America’s Health.

UAMS Health Weight Management Clinic Adds Bariatric Surgery to Weight Loss Offerings

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UAMS Announces UAMS Health OrthoNow, a Walk-In Clinic for Orthopaedic Care

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By Chris Carmody

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) on April 7 will launch a new service called UAMS Health OrthoNow, a walk-in clinic that provides orthopaedic care for patients of all ages.

OrthoNow is located on the first floor of The Orthopaedic & Spine Hospital at UAMS, 801 Cottage Drive in Little Rock. The service is available from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.

OrthoNow will offer fast, expert care for a variety of injuries and conditions involving the bones, joints and spine. Patients will benefit from The Orthopaedic & Spine Hospital’s state-of-the art amenities, including on-site X-rays that allow for quick diagnoses.

UAMS Announces UAMS Health OrthoNow, a Walk-In Clinic for Orthopaedic Care

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UAMS Brings Together Patients, Caregivers and Providers for First MS Symposium

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By Yavonda Chase

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) hosted its first Multiple Sclerosis Symposium on March 15, bringing together patients, caregivers and health care professionals to discuss the oft-debilitating neurological disease.

For co-organizer Ashley Pike, Ph.D., a postdoctoral fellow in the UAMS Helen L. Porter and James T. Dyke Brain Imaging Research Center, the event was personal; in 2008, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, often called MS.

A native Nebraskan who moved to Arkansas to attend graduate school, Pike said she discovered many people who are living with MS don’t know what resources are available to assist them, which is why she and Chrystal Fullen, Psy.D., a neuropsychologist in the UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute, worked with the Department of Neurology to put on the symposium.

UAMS Brings Together Patients, Caregivers and Providers for First MS Symposium

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Hip, Knee Specialist Simon Mears, M.D., Ph.D., Returns to UAMS Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

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By Linda Satter

LITTLE ROCK — Simon Mears, M.D., Ph.D., a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon specializing in hip and knee joint-related conditions, has returned to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) after a year in an endowed professorship in orthopaedics at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

Mears specializes in hip and knee replacement surgery and taking care of patients with complex joint problems such as periprosthetic fractures, revisions and infections.

“We are ecstatic that Dr. Mears has returned to the UAMS Department of Orthopaedic Surgery,” said C. Lowry Barnes, M.D., professor and chair of the department. “He is an outstanding joint replacement surgeon and a leader at the campus level for quality and safety. In addition, he is a nationally recognized researcher in hip and knee replacement.”

Hip, Knee Specialist Simon Mears, M.D., Ph.D., Returns to UAMS Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

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College of Pharmacy Honors Pilar Murphy, Pharm.D., with Memorial Scholarship

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By Benjamin Waldrum

The UAMS College of Pharmacy has established the Pilar Murphy Memorial Scholarship to honor the beloved alumna and faculty member who died Nov. 2.

Murphy, a 2010 College of Pharmacy graduate, returned to UAMS in 2021, joining the Department of Pharmacy Practice faculty as an associate professor. She is survived by her mother, Patricia Ann Murphy, son, Zion Vincent Murphy and sister, Erica Pleshette Murphy.

“Dr. Pilar Murphy’s life was full of impact that extended to the lives of her colleagues, students and patients,” said College of Pharmacy Dean Cindy Stowe, Pharm.D. “She cared deeply for and about others and stayed committed to challenging herself and those around her to be better and do better. Dr. Murphy brought energy and hope to every room she entered — it was palpable. This memorial scholarship honors her legacy and impact by supporting student pharmacists who exemplify her same commitment to caring about patients, colleagues and the broader community.”

College of Pharmacy Honors Pilar Murphy, Pharm.D., with Memorial Scholarship

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Cathy Cole and Denton Seilhan Pledge $1 Million to Create Endowed Chair for Child and Family Resilience at UAMS

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By Andrew Vogler

LITTLE ROCK — Cathy Cole and Denton Seilhan pledged $1 million to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) to establish the Cathy Cole Seilhan and Denton Seilhan Endowed Chair for Child and Family Resilience in the College of Medicine’s Department of Family and Preventive Medicine.

“I want to thank the Seilhans for their visionary gift to UAMS that establishes the Cathy Cole Seilhan and Denton Seilhan Endowed Chair for Child and Family Resilience,” said Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, UAMS chancellor and CEO of UAMS Health. “With the assistance of these funds, we will be able to help many children throughout our state who have experienced trauma and mental health issues.”

The gift was made in honor of Nikki Edge, Ph.D., professor and vice chair for research in the UAMS College of Medicine’s Department of Family and Preventive Medicine and director of the department’s Research and Evaluation Division, who will be invested in the chair later this year.

Cathy Cole and Denton Seilhan Pledge $1 Million to Create Endowed Chair for Child and Family Resilience at UAMS

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UAMS Receives $2.5 Million for Family Medicine Residency Programs in South Arkansas

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By Philip Allison

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) will expand its residency programs in south Arkansas thanks to a $2.5 million grant from the Arkansas State Legislature.

The state’s PEER Joint Budget Committee recently approved a request for $2,550,225 in funding from the restricted reserve fund to support the development of family medicine residency programs in El Dorado and Crossett. The funds will help create 22 new residency slots in hospitals in the two cities as well as one new family medicine obstetrics fellowship.

“Expanding the number of physicians starting their careers in Arkansas through their medical residency increases the chance they will remain in the state to practice, so partnering with hospitals around the state to increase the number of residency slots is a pathway for addressing physician shortages in rural Arkansas,” said Stephanie Gardner, Pharm.D., Ed.D., UAMS provost and chief strategy officer. “We are grateful for the State of Arkansas providing startup funds for these new family medicine residency programs in Crossett and El Dorado.”

UAMS Receives $2.5 Million for Family Medicine Residency Programs in South Arkansas

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UAMS and Walmart Work Together to Address Food Insecurity and Improve Wellness

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By David Wise

LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and Walmart are collaborating to increase access to nutritious food across Arkansas.

Through the collaboration, participants in select research projects at the UAMS Institute for Community Health Innovation will receive Walmart Wellness Benefit cards to be specifically used at Walmart stores for various health-related items, including healthy foods and baby care items.

The statewide program begins in March. The number of cards and card amounts will be determined on a project-by-project basis. Various research projects within the institute will participate in the program, including CenteringPregnancy and Delivering HOPE, a new program that will include nutritional counseling, case management and grocery deliveries.

UAMS and Walmart Work Together to Address Food Insecurity and Improve Wellness

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UAMS Doctor Receives VA Merit Award to Address Overprescribing of Thyroid Medication

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By David Robinson

UAMS’ Spyridoula Maraka, M.D., has been awarded a Veterans Affairs (VA) Merit Award of $830,000 over four years to address the widespread overprescribing of levothyroxine (LT4), one of the most prescribed drugs in the United States.

LT4 is used to treat hypothyroidism, a condition where the thyroid produces too few hormones. However, many patients are prescribed LT4 based solely on a single abnormal test, even when thyroid function is normal, Maraka said, which can lead to unnecessary treatment and financial burden, disruptive lifestyle changes, cardiovascular risks and even death.

About 20 million people in the United States receive LT4. Among those starting LT4, about 31% have normal thyroid function, meaning LT4 should not have been prescribed, according to a 2021 article in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine that Maraka co-authored.

UAMS Doctor Receives VA Merit Award to Address Overprescribing of Thyroid Medication

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UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute Scientist Awarded $1.9 Million to Study Air Pollution, Breast Cancer

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By Marty Trieschmann

A researcher at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has received a $1.9 million grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) to study the role of environmental exposures in the development of early onset breast cancer in Arkansas women.

Ping-Ching Hsu, Ph.D., an associate professor of Environmental Health Sciences in the UAMS Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health and a member of the Cancer Institute’s Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences Research Group, is the first UAMS researcher to receive federal funding for a large, population-based study on environmental exposure and cancer in rural Arkansas communities.

The five-year NIEHS grant will advance Hsu’s study of 26,000 Arkansas women, all study participants in the UAMS Arkansas Rural Community Health (ARCH) Study since 2007. ARCH is a large cohort of women ages 18 to 95 from all 75 counties in Arkansas that began as Spit for the Cure. In leading the study, Hsu has already discovered that the cohort has high proportions of women younger than 50 who were healthy when they enrolled and later developed breast cancer.

UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute Scientist Awarded $1.9 Million to Study Air Pollution, Breast Cancer

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Professor Sponsors High School, Undergrad Students in 2 UAMS Health Career Programs

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By Chris Carmody

A pair of community engagement programs in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Division for Academic Pathways and Workforce Partnerships will be able to accept more students this year thanks to support from a professor in the College of Medicine’s Department of Pediatrics.

David Becton, M.D., a pediatric hematologist and oncologist who treats patients at Arkansas Children’s, has agreed to provide $45,000 in endowed chair discretionary funds to sponsor students in the Pre-Medical Summer Scholars and Summer Research Internship programs over a two-year period.

Becton is the inaugural recipient of Arkansas Children’s Lawrence H. Schmieding Endowed Chair in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, which was established in 2015. He said the UAMS programs are the first of their kind that he’s supported through Arkansas Children’s endowment funds.

Professor Sponsors High School, Undergrad Students in 2 UAMS Health Career Programs

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Visitors Get Look at New, Full-Service UAMS Plastic Surgery Center

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By Linda Satter

Sunlight streamed through full-length glass windows into the sixth-floor reception area of the new University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Plastic Surgery Clinic in the Freeway Medical Tower, adding an element of warmth on an otherwise cold day.

It was Feb. 13, the perfect day for a three-hour Open House that provided members of the public and UAMS employees with an up-close look at the newly refurbished, light-filled space.

Visitors toured the seven exam rooms, the large procedure room and the consult and triage spaces while nibbling on snacks and visiting with two of the three surgeons who work at the clinic as well as advanced practice providers and staff members.

The clinic opened without fanfare Dec. 18, 2024, occupying 4,365 square feet on the sixth floor and cementing UAMS’ heavy presence in the building, which also houses other UAMS clinics and offices.

Visitors Get Look at New, Full-Service UAMS Plastic Surgery Center

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UAMS-led Arkansas Perinatal Quality Collaborative Launches Congenital Syphilis Initiative

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By David Wise

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LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Perinatal Quality Collaborative (ARPQC), a partnership started last year between the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) and 34 birthing hospitals across the state, has launched an initiative to rapidly address a congenital syphilis problem in Arkansas.

Twenty-two hospitals in Arkansas are participating in this new initiative, which started in January and will run for six months.

“Syphilis is an infection that we used to rarely see,” said William “Sam” Greenfield, M.D., MBA, a professor in the UAMS Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, medical director for Family Health with ADH and medical director of ARPQC. “Unfortunately, it’s making a resurgence, not just in Arkansas, but across the United States and globally. We need to update our clinical practices to address this problem.”

UAMS-led Arkansas Perinatal Quality Collaborative Launches Congenital Syphilis Initiative

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Arkansas Center for Birth Defects Research and Prevention Highlighted at Research Showcase

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By Kev' Moye

The Arkansas Center for Birth Defects Research and Prevention took center stage in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Division of Research and Innovation’s latest Showcase of Medical Discoveries.

The center in the UAMS Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health aims to understand the causes of birth defects and to reduce the number of babies born with birth defects. Conducting extensive research and developing community partnerships is key to the center fulfilling its mission.

The Feb. 5 showcase spotlighted 16 of the center’s research projects.

Arkansas Center for Birth Defects Research and Prevention Highlighted at Research Showcase

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UAMS College of Public Health to Offer New Doctoral Program

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By Kev' Moye

LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health will offer an Environmental Health Sciences (EHS) doctoral program beginning in the fall 2025 semester. Students in the multidisciplinary program will learn how the environment impacts human health.
According to Gunnar Boysen, Ph.D., associate professor in the college’s Department of Environmental Health Sciences, students will receive in-depth training in a spectrum of disciplines such as:
• Environmental Toxicology
•Environmental Origins of Cancer Exposure Science
•Exposure Assessment
•Nutrition and Dietary Supplements
•Public Health Microbiology
•Geographical Information Systems
•Biomarkers of Exposure
•Climate Change and Public Health

“Environmental Health Sciences is an interdisciplinary field that bridges studies of the environment with human health — specifically population health and behavior,” Boysen said.
The department conducted surveys among academic institutions, government agencies and public health industries, which confirmed the need for more environmental health specialists in Arkansas. Currently, no comparable doctoral program exists in the state, forcing employers to self-train or recruit out-of-state personnel for specialized positions.
Undergraduate and master’s level Environmental Health Science programs have seen a steady increase in enrollment in recent semesters. “Those developments demonstrate a demand for this doctoral program,” Boysen said.
UAMS College of Public Health to Offer New Doctoral Program
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The program will position students for a career in the environmental health sciences while also training them on how to conduct original research, analyze their findings and contribute to the advancing environmental health sciences knowledge.
“Our doctoral program will be targeted to the field of environmental health sciences’ needs, thereby complementing other Ph.D. program at UAMS and in the state,” Boysen said.
“The EHS program will give young Arkansans an additional educational opportunity in-state that can lead to a high paying job that itself will have a positive impact in the state for generations to come,” he added.
For more information about the program visit publichealth.uams.edu/academics/doctoral/phd-in-environmental-health-sciences/.

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UAMS, AR Children’s brace for Trump administration cuts to medical research funding

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KUAR | By Lara Farrar

From the Arkansas Times:

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Arkansas Children’s are preparing for the Trump administration’s cuts to the National Institutes of Health, a policy change that would upend grant-funded research at universities, medical schools and other scientific institutions in Arkansas and across the United States.

On Friday, the NIH announced that it would set a cap of 15% on payments for “indirect costs” related to research. Those costs include “general administration and general expenses such as the director’s office, accounting, personnel” and other expenditures. The change in indirect cost coverage applies to existing grants and for any new grants issued, NIH’s Office of Policy for Extramural Research Administration said Friday.

On Saturday, UAMS Chancellor Dr. Cam Patterson sent a memo to research faculty and staff, warning the NIH policy change “would have a significant effect on UAMS and other research institutions across our state and country.”

UAMS, AR Children’s brace for Trump administration cuts to medical research funding

UAMS

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UAMS Study Finds Mothers Living in Rural Areas or Covered by Medicaid Less Likely to Receive Prenatal Care

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By David Wise

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas mothers who live in rural areas and/or who have a Medicaid-covered birth are less likely to receive early prenatal care or receive an adequate number of prenatal care visits, according to a study published recently by researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Institute for Community Health Innovation.

The study, “Sociodemographic factors associated with prenatal care utilization in Arkansas, United States,” analyzed prenatal care utilization among women in Arkansas. Researchers found that mothers with a Medicaid-covered birth were more likely to have fewer than the recommended number of prenatal care visits, more likely to initiate prenatal care late, and more likely to have no prenatal visits at all.

Researchers also found that some minority groups — specifically Black and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander populations — were more likely to experience late or less than the recommended number of prenatal care visits compared to white mothers.

UAMS Study Finds Mothers Living in Rural Areas or Covered by Medicaid Less Likely to Receive Prenatal Care