Table of Contents
About this Report
The initiatives noted in this report were led by Richard Turnage, M.D., UAMS vice chancellor for regional campuses, and Marcia Byers, Ph.D., R.N., senior director. They represent a collaborative effort between UAMS Regional Campuses and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
These efforts are partially supported through federal grants, including the Arkansas AHEC Point of Service Maintenance & Enhancement program (POSME), Medical Student Education (MSE), Primary Care Training and Enhancement (PCTE), Teaching Health Centers (THC) and Rural Residency Planning & Development (RRPD).
This report is published one year following resident graduation to allow for the inclusion of the most complete and accurate data on graduate practice outcomes. As a result, the information presented reflects both data from the original reporting period and relevant updates collected prior to publication.
The views expressed in this report are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official perspectives of, or an endorsement by, HRSA, HHS or the United States Government.
Program Photos
Program History & Mission
UAMS Regional Campuses, formerly Area Health Education Centers (AHECs), were founded in 1973. The goal was to serve as a means to encourage UAMS medical school graduates to remain in Arkansas and help address the state’s shortage and uneven distribution of primary care physicians. Over time, our mission has expanded to include other health professions such as pharmacy, nursing, physician assistants and behavioral health.
UAMS Regional Campuses achieves its clinical education and research missions through nine sites in Batesville, Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Jonesboro, Pine Bluff, Texarkana, Magnolia, El Dorado and Helena. This statewide network serves as an educational outreach platform for UAMS and the principal means to decentralize health education throughout the state.
Future health professionals are exposed to rural communities and more varied hands-on experiences than they might receive in a traditional urban, academic environment. Each regional campus serves a multi-county region.
Mission
To improve the health of Arkansans, through community and academic partnerships, by training health professionals and delivering quality patient-centered primary care.
Training Approach & Overview
Quality training experiences in settings away from the academic medical center expose trainees to clinical and experiential opportunities in underserved communities, helping encourage rural practice choices. Our interprofessional team-based teaching atmosphere enhances the rural professional environment, aids in provider retention and ultimately strengthens the participating community health care systems.
2023 – 2024 Trainee Overview
This past year, we provided training for:
- 1,479 – High school/college students in health career programs
- 10,937 – Students in group presentations or events
- 220 – Health professions students
- 153 – Family medicine residents
Recruiting Students into Health Careers
Academic preparations for some healthcare professions begin as early as middle school. Physicians, for example, must select advanced math and science courses starting as early as 9th grade in order to prepare them for future success in medical school. Thus, a long-term investment in our health career pipeline is vital in order to ensure an adequate supply of healthcare providers for the future.
UAMS Regional Campuses offers the following programs:
High School Students
- A Day in the Life
- MASH
(Medical Application of Science for Health) - CHAMPS
(Community Health Applied in Medical Public Service) - Find Your Future in Healthcare
- Hands-on Health Care
- Club Scrub
- ACT prep
- Medical Interpreting (NW campus only)
- Group presentations or events
College Students
- Individual advising sessions
- MCAT prep
- Mock interviews
- Professional application review
- Assistance with writing personal statements
- Job shadowing
- Volunteer/community service
- Group presentations or events
In summer 2024, 398 students attended 25 MASH/CHAMPS camps. Another 12,000 participated in one or more of the above pipeline programs during the 2023-24 school year.
Educational Coordinators
Regional education coordinators are available in all eight regions of Arkansas. They serve as mentors and academic advisors to connect students with opportunities and resources in their respective regions. Students, parents, teachers or school counselors can email their education coordinator using this list.
Adventure in the Wild: Students Dive into Emergency Medicine at UAMS Event
Students from three Arkansas universities got a unique look at emergency medicine thanks to UAMS.
Held at Logoly State Park near McNeil, Arkansas, the Adventure in Medicine event gave students from Southern Arkansas University, the University of Arkansas at Monticello and Texas A&M University – Texarkana the opportunity to learn about emergency medicine.
Students took part in a skills workshop where they learned about spine boards, bracing, applying splints and tourniquets, CPR and intubation. They then moved into several outdoor scenarios simulating a tree fall, a hiking accident and cardiac arrest. Attendees were able to use their newfound knowledge to assess the situation and demonstrate emergency medicine skills in an outdoor setting.
Students learned from a variety of instructors, including staff from Columbia County Ambulance Service and Michael Page, D.O., from the UAMS South Regional Campus. Travis Hill, the executive director of UAMS’ Centers for Simulation Education, showed off the UAMS mobile classroom.
Educating Arkansas’ Future Health Care Professionals
Medical Students
UAMS medical students can participate in a Family Medicine Preceptorship and/or a Service Learning Project between their first and second year of medical school, shadowing a family physician or working with our faculty. This year, 24 students engaged in preceptorships and/or service projects.
In 2023-24, 132 UAMS medical students performed family medicine clerkships at our regional campuses. This four-week experience, at a time when medical students are starting to make decisions regarding specialty and practice location, is an important recruitment tool for our residency programs.
This year, 23 UAMS senior medical students completed multiple regional rotations at our Regional Campuses. Senior rotations focus on clinical skills and preparation for residency, allowing students to design a program of elective rotations to meet personal career goals.
Pharmacy, Physician Assistant, Nursing and Behavioral Health Students
During 2023-24, 24 physician assistant students and 17 pharmacy students from the UAMS Little Rock campus completed rotations at one of our regional sites. The Northwest Campus also offers programs in nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, genetic counseling and radiologic imaging sciences. Regional pharmacy and behavioral health faculty enjoy integral roles in the complex care committees in their family medicine clinics and in their centers’ scholarly and academic leadership initiatives.
U.S. News Names UAMS a Best Medical School for Primary Care, Rural Practice
UAMS continues to climb U.S. News & World Report’s list of Best Medical Schools. The magazine’s annual ranking of allopathic and osteopathic schools across the country showed that for 2024, UAMS ranked fourth nationally for primary care education, ninth for the most graduates practicing in health professional shortage areas and 11th nationally for graduates practicing in rural areas.
U.S. News listed UAMS as a Tier 1 medical school in primary care, based on data collected from 99 medical and osteopathic schools in the U.S.
We believe that this national recognition is largely due to the initiatives that have been made possible through the HRSA Value-Based Medical Student Education (MSE) grant that was first awarded to Regional Campuses in 2019.
UAMS Regional Campuses Receives $17.6 Million Grant Renewal to Support Efforts to Recruit, Train Students in Primary Care
UAMS has received a $17.6 million HRSA Medical Student Education grant renewal. The primary objectives of the renewed grant are to recruit, retain, and graduate medical students from rural or medically underserved communities of Arkansas who are interested in practicing in these areas following residency training, to increase the number of medical school graduates who select residency programs in primary care specialties, and to enhance strategic partnerships, including primary care rotations at community-based settings.
The funding will support a variety of UAMS initiatives throughout the state, including:
- A pre-med post-baccalaureate program in the UAMS College of Medicine.
- Recruitment/outreach programs for medical students.
- Scholarships for students interested in specific primary care specialties.
- Immersive, longitudinal community rotations for medical students in underserved populations.
- Faculty development offerings for UAMS faculty and community preceptors.
Training Family Physicians
Practice Locations of Our Graduates
The map shows the locations of physicians trained by UAMS Regional Campuses who are practicing in Arkansas. Increasing the number of primary care physicians in Arkansas is urgent, as one-fourth of those currently practicing are nearing retirement. Regional Campuses is committed to the recruitment and retention of physicians who understand – and are equipped to care for – the specific needs of people in rural communities across the state.
- 921 UAMS Regional Campuses-trained physicians currently practice in 67 of Arkansas’ 75 counties.
- More than 1,500 family medicine residents have graduated from UAMS regional residency programs.
- Of the 1,170 graduates currently practicing, approximately 78% are practicing in Arkansas.
Family Medicine Residency Programs
Regional Campuses provided training for 153 residents in 2023-24, including 50 who completed their three-year residency to become board-eligible in Family Medicine. Over the last 50 years, these programs have trained family physicians who are serving in 67 of the 75 counties in the state.
In 2024, UAMS had 79 first-year family medicine residency slots approved. This includes 54 at Regional Campuses, seven at the two Rural Training Programs in Berryville/Eureka Springs and Crossett, six in the DFPM program in Little Rock and 12 at the joint DFPM/Baptist Health program in North Little Rock.
Faculty Spotlight
The UAMS College of Medicine has invested Shashank Kraleti, M.D., in the Dr. Algernon Sidney Garnett Chair in Family Medicine. Dr. Kraleti is chair of the UAMS Department of Family and Preventive Medicine and serves as the director of primary care service line. He is also the senior vice president for UAMS Health.
Scott Dickson, M.D., has been named as the vice-chair and assistant director for clinical operations in the primary care service line. He has been program director of the UAMS Northeast Family Medicine residency program since 2009.
Tabasum Imran, M.D., has been chosen as the assistant service line director for clinical quality. Since 2014, she has been the associate program director and medical director at UAMS West.
Stephen Foster, M.D., has been named director of the Office of Digital Health. He is an assistant professor, an ambulatory physician builder in clinical informatics and an ambulatory quality officer.
UAMS South Opens New Location
UAMS Health Family Medical Center Celebrates Grand Opening in El Dorado
UAMS held a ribbon-cutting ceremony in March 2024 to celebrate the grand opening of the UAMS Health Family Medical Center in El Dorado.
The Family Medical Center is located at 620 W. Grove St., Suite 202, in the former home of the South Arkansas Physician Group clinic.
The clinic’s team of healthcare providers offers primary care to existing and new patients alike. Donya Watson, M.D., will offer primary care services at the Family Medical Center while continuing to see OB-GYN patients at the nearby South Arkansas Women’s Clinic. Dr. Watson will also serve as the program director of the new Family Medicine residency program.
The UAMS Health Family Medical Center opened to patients March 19. The center is a comprehensive primary care facility, offering services such as:
- Annual checkups and preventive care
- Urgent care for minor injuries and unexpected illnesses
- Ongoing care for medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma and heart disease
- Vaccinations
- Specialized care for pregnant women and for new moms and babies
- Pediatric care
- School and sports physicals
Patients who require specialized care can receive treatment at the nearby South Arkansas Regional Hospital but they will also be able to gain referrals to top specialists at UAMS Health facilities in Little Rock.
The Family Medical Center opening marks another step in UAMS’ efforts to reestablish a regional campus in El Dorado. UAMS Regional Campuses strive to create sustainable educational and training pipelines to address the state’s shortage of primary care physicians in rural communities, as studies have shown that a majority of family physicians practice within 100 miles of their residency training site.
In 2021, the Murphy Family Foundation and Murphy USA Charitable Foundation pledged $1 million over three years to UAMS to support the creation of a new regional campus in El Dorado. In 2022, the SHARE Foundation pledged $1.5 million to establish a family medicine residency program in El Dorado.
As of this printing, the El Dorado Family Medicine residency program has been accredited by the Acceditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), with the goal of accepting its first cohort of Family Medicine residents in training in 2026.
Student Spotlight
From Helena to Healing: UAMS Pipeline Programs Help Shape a Future Doctor
By Katherine Wright
I’m from the small east Arkansas Delta town of Helena, which doesn’t have a lot of the educational resources that more urban areas have. I am so grateful
for the UAMS regional pipeline programs, which offered me amazing opportunities, solidified my call to pursue medicine and set me up for success every step of the way. Club Scrub, CHAMPS and MASH all exposed me to various medical specialties, while also equipping me with skills needed in healthcare settings. During college, my pre-med mentor gave me valuable advice on study habits, my professional applications and my personal statement.
Janet Ligon, at UAMS East, played a pivotal role in my success. She facilitated regional experiences and constantly raised my awareness of the programs and resources available to me. I was so proud to be accepted into the UAMS College of Medicine! It would not have been possible without my friends and advisors at UAMS Regional Campuses.
In the Mississippi River Delta, comfort food and sedentary lifestyles reign supreme. Though I was a health-conscious kid (largely due to pharmacist parents), I witnessed others in my community fall victim to the vicious cycle of poor health education, scarce socioeconomic resources and unfortunate health outcomes. I also lamented the lack of accessible and specialized care in my hometown. Diagnosed with a hormonal imbalance during middle school, I made frequent treks to Little Rock to visit an endocrinologist and other specialists. But many in my hometown didn’t have the luxury or means of commuting to a different city. Without consistent transportation, they struggled just to get to their local primary care physician. Thus, I quickly realized the need for more physicians closer to home.
I was not alone in suffering from hormonal imbalances; many others in my community did as well. Diabetes is endemic to the Delta. Through shadowing, I also discovered many people with Hashimoto’s and other thyroid conditions. Upon hearing about UAMS’s Honors in Underserved Primary Care (HUPC) program, it seemed like the perfect fit for me, as someone who is passionate about serving underserved communities in Arkansas but doesn’t yet know where I want to settle ultimately. I didn’t necessarily want to commit to a rural medicine program that would dictate where I go after completing my medical education; however, I wanted to learn all I could about health disparities across the state and best prepare myself to address them. The HUPC program provides endless opportunities to network with primary care physicians in Arkansas, assist with pipeline programs such as MASH, conduct research on “hot topics” in medicine and capitalize on my passion for service learning.
I would love to serve my hometown in some capacity – either through setting up or taking over a permanent private practice, traveling back once or twice a month for mobile clinics (like my uncle, a cardiologist, does at Helena Regional Medical Center) or by meeting with patients via telehealth consultations. I’m very grateful for all the guidance and support I have received from Regional Campuses and I’m looking forward to my future in primary care!
Wright is currently a third-year medical student and HUPC member. She helped to establish a Lifestyle Medicine Interest Group at UAMS, currently serving as president. She is also an active member of the Family Medicine Interest Group, the Internal Medicine interest Group and the Med-Peds Interest group.
Providing Quality Health Care in Rural Areas
UAMS Opens Satellite Transplant Clinic
In December 2023, UAMS opened a new transplant care clinic in Helena-West Helena. Located within the UAMS East Family Medical Center, this clinic provides follow-up care for kidney and liver transplant patients in eastern Arkansas. While transplants take place in Little Rock, follow-up care is offered at six satellite clinics across the state. UAMS’ kidney and liver transplant programs are nationally recognized, ranking among the best for transplant speed and patient survival. The addition of this satellite clinic reinforces UAMS’ commitment to making high-quality transplant care more accessible statewide.
First Cardiology Clinic in Batesville Serves 12 Patients
UAMS North Central hosted its first cardiology clinic in April 2024 and it was a resounding success. Their skilled team of cardiology professionals is prepared to get to the heart of any cardiovascular problem, from heart disease to heart attack. Their doctors have access to the best technology and equipment and are experts in the field.
Clinical Patient Care
Our regional family medicine centers provide comprehensive primary care for thousands of Arkansans across the state. Faculty, residents, and staff provide a vast array of healthcare services, screenings, support groups and other resources.
Reaching Out to Arkansas Communities
UAMS Establishes Institute for Community Health Innovation
UAMS has established its eighth institute, the UAMS Institute for Community Health Innovation. The institute will work with communities across Arkansas to conduct community-based research and deploy community-driven programs to improve health outcomes in rural and medically disadvantaged regions of the state. The institute will be led by founding director Dr. Pearl McElfish, who has more than 20 years of experience implementing innovative community health programs and community-based research.
Community Service and Outreach Activities
Affiliated Community Hospitals & Partners
We are grateful for the leadership and commitment of all our faculty, staff, institutional leaders and community partners who are central to the success of our programs. We hold formal affiliation agreements with the hospitals below as host institutions and training facilities. Deep appreciation is extended to these partners, who contribute facilities, funds and staff to support our programs.
UAMS East
- Crittenden Memorial Hospital
- Helena Regional Medical Center
- Chicot Memorial Hospital
UAMS North Central
- White River Medical Center
- Baxter Regional Medical Center
- Woodlawn Heights Nursing Home
UAMS Northeast
- St. Bernards Regional Medical Center
- NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital
UAMS Northwest
- Washington Regional Medical Center
- Northwest Medical Center – Springdale
- Arkansas Veterans Home – Fayetteville
- Northwest Health Physicians’ Specialty Hospital
- Springdale Health and Rehabilitation Center
UAMS South
- Magnolia Regional Medical Center
- Arkansas Children’s Hospital – Little Rock
- South Arkansas Regional Hospital – El Dorado
UAMS South Central
- Jefferson Regional
UAMS Southwest
- CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System
- Wadley Regional Medical Center
UAMS West
- Baptist Health Fort Smith
Judd Hill Foundation Pledges $1 Million to Support UAMS Northeast Regional Campus, Cancer Patients
The Judd Hill Foundation Fund for Excellence will invest $1 million in the Northeast Regional Campus, including support for education, research, clinical care and campus improvements. The funds will also be used by UAMS to provide additional support for cancer patients in the Delta, helping connect them with resources and care providers in their region.
UAMS Names Regional Vice Chancellor’s Office in Honor of Mary Ann and Reed Greenwood
UAMS has paid tribute to Reed Greenwood and his late wife, Mary Ann, by naming an office in their honor on the UAMS Northwest Regional Campus. The “Mary Ann and Reed Greenwood Office of the Vice Chancellor” recognizes the Greenwoods’ commitment and support of increasing access to health care for the NWA community, advocacy for the creation of the UAMS Northwest Regional Campus and philanthropic support of UAMS initiatives.
Key Partnership Highlights
- Arkansas Farm Bureau is our long-term partner making MASH and CHAMPS summer camps possible across the state. To mark MASH’s 35th anniversary in 2023, Arkansas Farm Bureau established a new Fund for Excellence, pledging $500,000 over five years to help guarantee future sustainability of these programs.
- Working with Arkansas Rural Health Partnership (ARHP), more students living in the southeast Arkansas Delta are being engaged each year through mobile health unit activities and internships at ARHP hospitals, encouraging students to pursue health careers in this underserved region.
- Through our Community Health Center partners, we continue to offer clinical and practicum experiences for UAMS students, to expose them to federally qualified health center settings across the state as potential practice locations.
Directory of Regional Campuses
UAMS East
1393 Highway 242 South
Helena-West Helena, AR 72342
870-572-2727
Area Director:
Stephanie Loveless, MPH
Administrative Director:
William McClain
Charge Nurse:
Angela Ward, BSN, RN, AMB-BC
UAMS North Central
1993 Harrison Street
Batesville, AR 72501
Phone: 870-698-9991
Family Medicine Residency Director:
Jordan Weaver, M.D.
Administrative Services Director:
Faye Turner, Ph.D.
Clinical Services Manager:
Kendall Barron, BSN, RN, AMB-BC
UAMS Northeast
311 East Matthews
Jonesboro, AR 72401
Phone: 870-972-9603
Family Medicine Residency Director:
Scott Dickson, M.D.
Administrative Services Director:
Faye Turner, Ph.D.
Clinical Services Manager:
Bendi Bowers, MSN, RN
UAMS Northwest
1125 North College
Fayetteville, AR 72703
Phone: 479-713-8000
Family Medicine Residency Director:
Michael Macechko, M.D.
Administrative Services Director:
Stephanie Kruger
Clinical Services Manager:
Stacia Dean, BSN, RN
UAMS South – Magnolia
1617 North Washington
Magnolia, AR 71753
Phone: 870-234-7676
Administrative Services Director:
Richard Reeves
Clinical Services Manager:
Semekia Amerison, BSN, RN
UAMS South – El Dorado
620 W. Grove St., Suite 202
El Dorado, AR 71730
Phone: 870-639-9939
Family Medicine Residency Director:
Donya Watson, M.D.
Administrative Services Director:
Richard Reeves
Clinical Services Manager:
Semekia Amerison, BSN, RN
UAMS South Central
4010 Mulberry Street
Pine Bluff, AR 71603
Phone: 870-541-7611
Family Medicine Residency Director:
Toni Middleton, M.D.
Administrative Services Director:
Sheila Huskey, MBA
Clinical Services Manager:
Tammy Murray, BSN, RN, AMB-BC
UAMS Southwest
300 East 6th (Administration)
3417 U of A Way
Texarkana, AR 71854
Phone: 870-779-6017
Family Medicine Residency Director:
Matthew Nix, M.D.
Administrative Services Director:
Courtney Jones
Clinical Services Manager:
Sonia Bunyard, MSN, RN, AMB-BC
UAMS West
612 South 12th Street
Fort Smith, AR 72901
Phone: 479-424-3172
Family Medicine Residency Director:
Katherine Irish-Clardy, M.D.
Administrative Services Director:
Chris Holland
Clinical Services Manager:
Brenda Norris, RN
Regional Campuses Clinics & Service Line
Chair, Dept. of Family and Preventive Medicine, Director of Primary Care and Population Health Service Line
Shashank Kraleti, M.D.
Senior Nursing Director, Integrated Medicine, Primary Care & Population Health Service Lines
Sandra Meredith-Neve, BScN, RN, CPN
Regional Clinics Assistant Nursing Director
Deborah Hutts, MSN, RN, NE-BC
Regional Campuses Clinical Specialist
Holly Jenkins, MSN, RN
Regional Campuses Director of Behavioral Health
Kathy Emans, LCSW
