A DIFFERENT DIAGNOSIS Walton medical school to apply holistic approach

By Becky Gillette

The new Alice L. Walton School of Medicine under construction in Bentonville next to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art goes by the acronym AWSOM. It is a particularly apt abbreviation because Walton’s vision for transforming medical school training to be healthier and more holistic for students and the people who will become their patients, some might say, is nothing short of awesome.

Walton’s ambition to launch a medical school that will offer a four-year M.D.-granting program was based on her own personal health care experiences that led her to consider a whole-person approach to care to complement traditional allopathic medicine. If her success with the renowned Crystal Bridges is any indication, AWSOM could play a critical role improving medical training and patient health in Arkansas and far beyond.

Walton said Northwest Arkansas is unique in its entrepreneurial spirit, focus on quality of life, natural resources and thriving art scene.

“This campus will bring together nature, art, innovation and well-being to create an inspiring environment for learning,” Walton said.

AWSOM has assembled an impressive group of staff and faculty to lead the school, which plans to open its doors to its first 48 students in 2025, pending accreditation. Founding Dean and CEO Dr. Sharmila Makhija is an international expert on gynecologic cancer who most recently served as the department chair of obstetrics & gynecology and women’s health at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Health System in New York. She has also held faculty positions at the University of Pittsburgh, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Emory University and the University of Louisville.

Makhija said what will distinguish AWSOM is building upon foundational sciences and clinical practices with a compassionate, inclusive and whole-health approach to care.

“What sets us apart is this community and our unique curriculum,” Makhija said. “The curriculum will be rooted in self-care, teaching students to support their own mental, physical, social and emotional health. We are practicing what we teach in that the school embraces a culture of well-being with offerings such as health coaching for students, allowing them to learn to care for patients and their own well-being. We will transform how health care is taught and delivered by proactively supporting all aspects of a person’s care. The goal is to promote resilience, prevent disease and restore well-being.”

Makhija said graduates of the school will be well-positioned as physicians of the future, increasing the number of health care providers in an era of industry shortages. There are also significant economic benefits from decreasing chronic conditions while increasing physical and mental well-being. Another important objective is attracting top talent, creating a pipeline for more health care leaders and keeping health care dollars in the region.

The campus sits on 14 acres located next to its sister organization, the nonprofit Whole Health Institute, and is adjacent to Crystal Bridges as well. WHI has the same founder and a similar mission. Its focus is on research, advocacy and partnering with health systems to create a delivery framework that focuses on prevention and is financially sustainable. Another goal is working with communities to share resources and activate systemwide changes and healthy behaviors.

“Starting in Northwest Arkansas first, we hope to build and pilot whole health programs and resources through the School of Medicine and the Whole Health Institute that impacts this region and beyond,” said WHI President Walter Harris. “The goal is to share learnings and serve as a model for how whole health approaches can work in other regions.”

As president of WHI, Harris oversees operations for health care transformation initiatives for Alice Walton’s nonprofits including AWSOM. Harris most recently served as senior vice president of administration and finance at the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine in Pasadena, Calif. Prior to that role, he served as vice president and chief operating officer at the George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, as global COO for the Food and Drug Administration, as chief management official for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and as chief information officer for the Department of Housing and Urban Development. He also held positions within the Veterans Health Administration.

In addition to significant public interest in a whole person approach to care, there is an urgent need for transformation. The U.S. has the lowest life expectancy at birth, the highest death rates for avoidable or treatable conditions, the highest maternal and infant mortality and among the highest suicide rates, according to “Commonwealth Fund, US Health Care from a Global Perspective, 2022: Accelerating Spending, Worsening Outcomes.” Regionally, Arkansas ranks 48th out of 50 states for overall health, according to the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement and Annual America’s Health Rankings Report.

Currently, the Walton School of Medicine is focused on seeking programmatic and institutional accreditation and hiring a team to develop the curriculum further.

The curriculum will be evidence-based, building on conventional medical teachings to include a whole person approach, teaching students about how food and nutrition impact health. In order to build on conventional medicine with an inclusive, whole health approach, there will be a focus on care delivery, interprofessional collaboration, caring for diverse populations, public policy and how to navigate and solve systemic health issues.

The program will be delivered using diverse modalities and active learning methods such as case-based learning and small group activities. In addition, there is a commitment to advancing medical education through technology. AWSOM will have a state-of-the-art facility with a simulation center. Curriculum is being developed exploring features like expanded reality, 3-D printing, artificial intelligence and machine learning. Students will be introduced to electronic medical records early in their education.

Groundbreaking for the project, which includes a 154,000-square-foot medical building, was in late March. The architecture firm, Polk Stanley Wilcox based of Fayetteville and Little Rock, is part- nering with OSD, a design firm based in New York, on the project. Indoor spaces will include classrooms, four simulation suites, a library, 12 clinical exam rooms, administrative offices, a student lounge, recreation areas, 18 group study spaces and underground parking. Outdoor features include meditation areas, foraging and healing gardens, a wetland, outdoor classrooms, an urban farming space, and a two-acre rooftop park that connects to balconies, a cafe and an amphitheater for students and the community at large.

AWSOM has hired about 35 employees including vice deans and assistant deans. Makhija said each brings new perspectives toward the vision to advance medical education by creating a physician of the future who is focused on whole person health.

“I am thrilled to welcome this diverse and dynamic team of AWSOM leaders who are passionate professionals with storied careers educating students and improving care delivery,” Makhija said.

In the coming months, AWSOM will focus on recruitment with the goal of hiring 150 full-time employees by the school’s opening, she said.