November/December 2022 Arkansas Medical News

Changing Minds

Psychiatrist Robert Jarvis is bringing hope to Arkansans with mental health

disorders

Robert M. Jarvis, MD, is changing the stigma around mental health. A native of Fayetteville, Jarvis completed a Bachelor of Arts in music and psychology from Trinity University in San Antonio. Following graduation, he worked multiple jobs including positions at the Elizabeth Richardson Center in Fayetteville and Habberton House, a long-term behavioral health facility within Ozark Guidance Center in Springdale. “After college, I started thinking about further education. Several friends had gone into medicine, and their enthusiasm inspired me,” said Jarvis, the son of a psychiatrist. “Entering medical school, I was very open minded about the many branches of medicine, but it was the Behavioral Science course that rekindled my interest in my college studies.

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Please find more local Arkansas healthcare news beginning on page 4.

Director of UAMS Institute on Aging Says Dementia Can

By BECKy GILLETTE

Jeanne Y. Wei, MD, PhD, is a prodi gious researcher whose work has provided important insight into the most common reason for hospitalization in the U.S.: heart failure. In her role as executive director of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Donald W. Reynolds Department of Geriatrics, she acts as a geriatric medicine consultant to healthcare providers throughout the state.

“Like many other states, there is a short age of geriatricians in Arkansas,” said Wei, who is also director of the UAMS Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging. “Most topranked geriatric programs around the nation

have found that the best way to use our expertise is to provide consultation. We can be contacted if any provider wishes to receive advice about the nuances of taking care of elderly patients, particu larly those with chronic conditions and/ or complications.”

Wei refers to the numerous medi cines that are available to treat health problems as “an embarrassment of riches.” However, these medicines can interact with each other in ways that may be harmful.

Wei’s research group was among the first to create animal models of the aging heart that closely replicate what (CONTINUED ON PAGE 2)

The MA Dilemma

Staffing shortages require new workforce solutions

By LyNNE JETER

Cone Medical Group reduced its turnover rate from 20-10 percent by starting its own program for certified medical assistants (CMAs).

HealthPoint Medical Care shifted their medical assistant (MA) responsibili ties to nurse practitioners (NPs).

Spurred by the COVID-19 pan demic, practices across the country are having to be resourceful to fill MA positions, with solutions varying from cutting clinic hours to building schools

and focusing on other roles. Part of the problem: candidates are demanding higher wages or don’t have the requisite experience.

“We’ve had many MA candidates ask for up to $30 per hour with little to no experience in healthcare, much less our particular specialty,” pointed out a practice manager in Georgia.

“Since 2019, more than 70 percent of our candidates (are) failing to keep their interview appointment or even failing to submit a professional resume.”

Jeanne Y. Wei

happens in the hearts of aging humans. Now animal models are being used to better understand the molecular mecha nisms of heart failure and the best ways to intervene.

Wei has authored a geriatrics text book widely used in the U.S. and the U.K. And she has also written a book tar geted to the general public called AGING WELL: The Complete Guide to Physical and Emotional Health. That is the only book that ever received an endorsement by advice columnist Ann Landers.

When asked if we are seeing any promise for delaying or preventing dementia, Wei’s answer is “absolutely yes. One half to two-thirds of dementia can be delayed or is preventable. It is fantastic. Research publications are coming out to show that yes, indeed, if you do the right things, you can delay and possibly prevent the onset of dementia.”

She said fresh vegetables are your best friend. Eat less meat and eat more vegeta bles, limit alcohol intake, and don’t forget the importance of exercise. Recent research found that walking regularly, especially intermittently walking fast, can reduce dementia risk by up to 50 percent. https:// www.healthline.com/health-news/ experts-say-walk-far-and-walk-quicklyto-reduce-your-risk-of-dementia. Other forms of exercise can also provide similar benefits.

The sport that provides the most addi tional years to life is tennis. But pickleball, the fastest growing sport in the U.S. and

The MA Dilemma,

When the practice finds suitable candidates, they often want to work four days a week at a higher pay rate, added the manager.

In a July poll by Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), 44 percent of practices noted that MA positions were the most difficult to fill, while 52 percent of medical groups are hiring alternative staff to cover MA roles: namely non-clinical staff, certified nurs ing assistants (CNAs), licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and registered nurses (RNs).

Nearly half of respondents hire a combination of the four designations, and even EMTs and pre-med students.

With fewer providers and staff, some practices are forced to cut back on sched uling patients, especially for extended hours and weekends. “There have been days that we’ve had to close the office early or block out certain providers due to being short-staffed,” said a Colorado practice manager.

Burnout because of the problem has led practices to cut corners elsewhere. A practice manager in Louisiana just started letting the phone go to an answer ing service during the lunch hour. “That way, everyone can get a few minutes to decompress and have lunch,” she said.

one that seniors are adopting in droves, likely has similar benefits.

“Pickleball is like tennis in that you need good hand-eye coordination, you have to think fast and move fast, and it keeps you up on all the reflexes,” Wei said. “When you cross the midline of your body, that enhances cognition. For exam ple, if you lean to the right and cross over to the left to hit the ball, you are crossing the midline and have done well. Exercise creates new neural pathways and new synapses and stimulates new small blood vessel (capillary) formation. In fact, weight training, resistance training and anything else you do that is physical is helpful. Do the best you can and feel happy that what ever you can do is good.”

She said the social element that can be involved in sports can be equally or even more important than exercise alone. Recent research has shown that to keep one’s brain volume, people need social support. Wei believes many elders who were isolated during the pandemic likely suffered severely, or even gave up, from lack of social contact—their suffering was not entirely due to COVID alone. She said everyone suffered, but the elderly bore the brunt of the social isolation.

“It is very important to have at least one person who listens to you with empa thy. I can’t emphasize that enough,” Wei said. “If no one is there to listen to you with empathy or if someone doesn’t listen to you with full attention, that doesn’t help as much. If someone listens to you intently,

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The Louisiana practice also started closing its doors a couple of hours early on Fridays to lessen the strain on provid ers and staff. “Lunches being brought in, ice cream parties, gift cards only go so far,” she added.

Cone Health Medical Group found a niche with its CMA academy, started in part because nearby community colleges and technical schools weren’t providing the clinical training CMAs require.

“We were very blessed being in a health system,” said Sally Hammond, assis tant director of Cone Health Medical Group. “We probably had more of an opportunity to find folks who would like to do this kind of work.”

Meanwhile, a practice in Louisiana was experiencing something similar. The local community college was the “gold standard” for CMAs four years ago, producing top-level personnel. However, enrollment in the two-year program declined and the community college lost its accreditation. Now administrators of

you are golden. It is even more important than pickleball.”

Another critical recommendation is to get proper sleep.

“Sleep is more important than food or medicine,” Wei said. “And don’t listen to all those commercials on TV about how to preserve memory. There are currently more than 150 lawsuits against some of these companies, and some have already been found guilty of false advertising and misleading people. Some of these drugs have resulted in people sustaining strokes, heart attacks and seizures. The take-home message here is please don’t take those drugs without talking to your doctor.”

There is one natural product that has good research supporting its use to prevent dementia, curcumin.

See: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/ articles/PMC5950688/#:~:text=For%20 prevention%20and%20treatment%20

of,the%20risk%20of%20Alzheimer's%20 disease

“Curcumin is an antioxidant and helps preserve cellular function,” Wei said. “It gets cells working at the top level of functioning. It really does work. It is fantastic.”

Wei likes to read and learn new things. She follows her own advice by engaging in intermittent fast walking and is close to her two grown sons and their families. Her oldest son, Michael Silverman, is a cardi ologist at Mass General Hosp in Boston and his wife, Polina Tesylar, is a psychia trist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. They have two daughters. Wei’s younger son, David Silverman, and his wife, Nimi Katragadda, both have MBAs from Harvard. They live in Manhattan where he is working for a small hedge fund company and she is working for a venture capital startup company. The couple has a daughter who is a year old.

the community college are reducing the length of the program to seven to nine months. What’s more, the practice has only been able to retain one new hire in the last year.

“I felt there must be a problem with our pay, our mission, our facilities, anything that would explain why we are no longer able to staff this clinic,” said the practice manager. “But what I found out from other col leagues was that they were facing the same dilemma.”

HealthPoint Family Care has moved completely away from hiring MAs, focusing instead on NPs. Last September, the group initiated a formal program, providing an annual stipend for NPs as an incentive, while also extending appointment times to account for tasks MAs would have done.

“NPs have the training and expe rience to do the work of MAs, such as administering immunizations and point of care testing,” said practice CEO Sally Jordan, adding that 80 percent of

the group’s NPs are participating in the program. “When surveyed about going back to working with clinical support staff when the hiring challenges are gone, 100 percent of the integrated NPs said they would choose to continue to work without support staff. Many state they are more efficient working alone and the benefit of the additional income as reasons.”

HealthPoint also started a hybrid NP position for recent graduates, allow ing them to practice as an NP three days a week, while also training with a physician in a support role the other two days. The NPs involved in this program report high satisfaction rates. Within a year of starting in the hybrid model, NPs are expected to be fully blended into the new NP program, with added MA-type responsibilities, said Jordan.

Regardless of various solutions, the problem still lies in the lack of profes sional MAs, which impacts the bottom line.

“We all feel that we’re falling short of the high level of patient care and service that we had before COVID,” said the practice manager in Louisiana. “There simply is not enough support to perform at the standard that we’ve set for our clinic for years.”

One half to two-thirds of dementia can be delayed or is preventable.

— Jeanne Y. Wei, MD, PhD, Executive Director, UAMS

Sally Jordan

PhysicianSpotlight

Changing Minds

Psychiatrist Robert Jarvis is bringing hope to Arkansans with mental health disorders

By MELANIE KILGORE-HILL

Robert M. Jarvis, MD, is chang ing the stigma around mental health. A native of Fayetteville, Jarvis com pleted a Bachelor of Arts in music and psychology from Trinity University in San Antonio. Following graduation, he worked multiple jobs including positions at the Elizabeth Richardson Center in Fayetteville and Habberton House, a long-term behavioral health facility within Ozark Guidance Center in Springdale. “After college, I started thinking about further education. Several friends had gone into medi cine, and their enthusiasm inspired me,” said Jarvis, the son of a psychia trist. “Entering medical school, I was very open minded about the many branches of medicine, but it was the Behavioral Science course that rekin dled my interest in my college studies. During clinical rotations, I realized that the relationships you have with patients in psychiatry are special and, to me, more personal. I felt like I could really make a difference in someone’s life as a psychiatrist.”

The path to psychiatry

While serving as chief resident at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Jarvis developed an interest in mood disorders and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). “I wanted to develop a skill set that allowed me to do every thing I could to help patients,” he said. “ECT can be a lifesaving treatment that not many offered in the state at the time.” After receiving specialized train ing in ECT at Washington University in St. Louis, Jarvis returned to UAMS and helped launch the institution’s ECT service in 2004. He served as a clinician-educator in the Department of Psychiatry at UAMS from 2004 to 2007, but his desire to focus solely on patient care drove him to join Arkansas Psychiatric Clinic, an outpa tient private practice in Little Rock, where he still treats patients. He also serves as Director of Electroconvulsive Therapy and Medical Director at The BridgeWay, where he treats adult inpa tients. A specialist in mood disorders, including major depression and bipo lar disorder, Jarvis is board certified in psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Hope through ECT

Nearly two decades since he helped launch UAMS’s ECT program, Jarvis continues working to spread awareness of mental health treatment options and

is helping to change the stigma once associated with mental illness. He said the shift in attitudes is evidenced by the number of patients actively seeking out therapies like ECT.

The treatment has a high success rate among those who haven’t achieved desired results through phar maceuticals, and Jarvis said the treatment can be significantly more effective than years of medication therapy.

“It’s rare to see some one seeking ECT who hasn’t been around the block with other treat ments,” he said. “If you had the option to treat people earlier in the course of their mood disorder with ECT, you could have much better long-term outcomes.” In fact, Jarvis said he’s only seen a handful of patients not respond to ECT during his 20-year career. Unfortunately, ECT patients often fall into the same relapse cycle as those who rely on medications. “Many ECT patients stop treatment when they feel better despite maintenance recom mendations – a treatment every four to six weeks for up to a year,” Jarvis said. “ECT and medications are no different in that if a patient stops the treatment as soon as they feel better, their risk of relapse is much higher than if they continue the treatment that got them better.”

COVID and mental health

Like most mental health practices, Jarvis’s office hit peak volume in the height of COVID and has yet to slow down. “There’s no shortage of patients, but there is a shortage of appointment slots,” he said. “COVID opened a door and it just stayed open because people are more aware they need mental health services.” Fortunately, the pandemic-driven practice of tele health is still being utilized for many mental health patients. “I’m so thank ful this field lends itself well to that,” Jarvis said. “I still prefer in-person appointments, but now most practitio ners are experienced in telehealth as well.” And while virtual mental health appointments are still permitted under a COVID-driven emergency ruling, Jarvis said consumers will be a loud voice in keeping that gate open for years to come. “I hope they do keep it

available, because it broadens access and it just makes sense,” he said.

Evolving therapies

Another evolution in the field of mental health is the use of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, or TMS. The noninvasive proce dure uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in the brain to improve symptoms of depression and is being considered for use in other psy chological conditions. Like ECT, TMS may be effective when other treatments haven’t worked. Jarvis also credits ketamine as a game changer in mental health. FDA approved esketamine, under the brand name Spravato, a nasal spray used by adults with major depressive disorder (with or without suicidal ideations) who haven’t been helped by antidepressant pills.

Patients may also receive ketamine treatment intravenously.

The opioid aftermath

Like most of the country’s mental health providers, Jarvis also has seen an uptick in patients struggling with fentanyl addiction, particularly in the inpatient setting. “Many are suicidal and trying to detox off opioids,” he said. “The pendulum is swinging back in the right direction following the last six to eight years of litigation and drug companies pushing opioid prescrip tions. Regulations are changing and that helps psychiatric patients.”

Embracing mental health care

Jarvis urges providers to continue encouraging patients to not be afraid to seek help if they need it. “People need to know it’s not as hard as they may think,” he said. “Once they walk through the door and see that help is available, they’re typically very grateful they came to get the help they need. That speaks to the improving stigma of mental health.”

Robert M. Jarvis

GrandRounds

April Bennett Named President of Baptist Health Medical Center-Conway

CONWAY – Baptist Health has named April Bennett, MSN, CHFP, RN, as the new president of Baptist Health Medical Center-Conway.

Serving as the hospital's chief nurs ing officer since 2020, Bennett has supported the open ing and expansion of multiple specialties including the hos pital’s inpatient rehabilitation unit, intermediate care unit and medical/ surgical unit as well as the open ing of a new intensive care unit and medical/surgical unit. Her successes also include decreasing bedside RN turnover, recruiting and replacing RN travelers with full-time staff and growing the inpatient census by 20 percent.

In addition to her leadership of BHMC-Conway, Bennett also leads the medical/surgical nursing con sortium for all 11 of Baptist Health’s hospitals.

Earlier this month, the American College of Healthcare Executives Regent’s Awards recognized Bennett for her exemplary leadership as an Early Career Healthcare Executive during the Arkansas Hospital Association’s Annual Meeting.

In 2020, Bennett joined Baptist Health after working for Freeman Health System in Joplin, Missouri, where she served as the vice presi dent of nursing services for seven years.

Bennett received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Missouri Southern University and Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Bennett is married to her hus band, Ryan, and has two sons, Aiden and Alex. She is a member of 2nd Baptist Church in Conway.

When Bennett is not at work, spending time with family or at the baseball field, she also finds time to be actively involved in the Conway community. She has served on the Conway Public Schools Foundation Board and University of Central Arkansas College of Health and Behavioral Sciences Advisory Board as well as the Conway Area Leadership Institute.

Additionally, Bennett has served as Northeast Regional Chair for the Arkansas Nurses Association and as a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE).

Dr. Linnea LeBaron Joins Baptist Health Heart Failure and Transplant Institute in Little Rock

LITTLE ROCK – Baptist Health Heart Failure and Transplant Institute recently welcomed Linnea LeBaron, DO. She specializes in advanced heart fail ure and transplant cardiology.

LeBaron, a native of Gilbert, Arizona, received her medical degree from Lincoln Memorial University DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine in Harrogate, Tennessee.

She later completed residency training in internal medicine at Corpus Christi Medical Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. LeBaron then went on to complete fellowships in general cardiology at Magnolia Regional Medical Center in Corinth, Mississippi, and advanced heart fail ure at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.

“I love educating my patients about their disease and helping them understand the 'why' of the treatment plan," said LeBaron. “I believe every patient deserves the best care, and I believe the best care comes when we work together as a team.”

In her spare time, LeBaron enjoys spending time with her husband and four children, whether it be traveling, spending time outdoors or partici pating in unique family traditions.

To learn more about LeBaron and the services she provides at Baptist Health Heart Failure and Transplant Institute, 9500 Kanis Road, Suite 410, visit Baptist-Health.com or call 1-888-BAPTIST.

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

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 lead ing comprehensive care at home provider, announced a partnership bringing a new care at home option to Central Arkansas. The joint ven ture offers patients a full spectrum of medical care in the comfort and convenience of their own homes.

“UAMS is leading the ambi tious 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-itskind model to the region and the first Comprehensive Care at Home pro gram to the state. We look forward to giving our patients an innovative option that delivers on our com mitment of community-focused, patient-centered care.”

UAMS Health Comprehensive Care at Home combines all the essential elements of primary, hos pital or rehabilitation level care with the comfort of patients’ homes. The proven model improves patient out comes and satisfaction, achieves cost savings and defines a new standard for care delivery. The service expands access across the continuum of care, increases critical inpatient capacity and reduces overall cost of care.

The model includes Recovery Care at Home and Rehabilitation Care at Home, which offer safe and effective alternatives to a traditional hospital stay and a traditional skilled nursing facility, respectively. In both services, patients are sent home with easy-to-use remote patient monitor ing devices and immediately begin receiving both in-person and virtual visits from their care team daily. These models allow patients to recover in the familiarity of their own home, while receiving expert medical care from trusted UAMS providers.

Palliative Care at Home provides additional support to seriously ill patients, their families and their caregivers. Patients are provided with complete coordinated care through in-home or virtual visits from UAMS care team members; 24-hour services such as physical, emotional and spiri tual support; in-depth discussions about their conditions and treatment plans, as well as social services.

As part of the joint venture, home health care will be provided by Amedisys Home Health in Searcy and Little Rock. Home health services include skilled nursing care; physical, occupational and speech therapy; medical social work; and home health aides to assist with activities of daily living, such as bathing, dressing and eating.

“Together with Contessa, we have the unique ability to build the full continuum of care at home ser vices. A prestigious institution like UAMS is the perfect partner to put this innovative model into practice. We are excited to provide a compre hensive program that will improve

the outcomes and experience for our patients in Central Arkansas,” said Chris Gerard, Amedisys president and chief executive officer.

Several emerging trends strengthen the case for a broaden ing the home-based care continuum, including patient and physician preference. A recent Capital Caring Health survey found that 90 percent of Americans over the age of 50 want to remain in their homes and age in place. CarePort reports that home health referrals have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, but skilled nursing referrals continue to decline.

“The pandemic shifted patient preference for care delivery, increas ing the demand for high-acuity care in the home,” said Travis Messina, Contessa’s chief executive officer. “Contessa’s Comprehensive Care at Home model builds upon that momentum while providing an inte grated care at home platform for patients, providers and payers. We are honored to partner with UAMS to bring this level of care to patients in Little Rock.”

UAMS Health Comprehensive Care at Home will begin accepting home health patients later this year or by early 2023, with other services rolling out in early 2023.

Arkansas

Children’s

Hospital

Names Kris Maddalena, MSN, as Chief

Nursing Officer

LITTLE ROCK – Arkansas Children’s Hospital has hired veteran nurse leader Kris Maddalena, MSN, BSN, as its senior vice president and chief nursing officer.

Maddalena, who brings more than 15 years of nursing lead ership experience to the role, will lead the largest division of Arkansas Children’s Hospital’s workforce. Her dynamic expe rience will help build, support and leverage a nursing team already cre ating a new era of health for Arkansas kids. Maddalena began serving in the position earlier this month.

“Kris has a track record of fostering a culture of ownership through accountability, respect, continuous improvement and shared governance,” said Arkansas Children’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Jamie Wiggins. “As chief nursing officer, she will provide clinical and admin istrative leadership for planning, organizing, directing, monitoring

April Bennett

LInnea LeBaron

Kris Maddalena

GrandRounds

and evaluating safe and high-quality patient care at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. We couldn’t be more excited to see how her leadership further strengthens our commitment to delivering unprecedented child health.”

Joining the Arkansas Children’s team brings Maddalena’s career full circle. She grew up in Arkansas and began her healthcare career as a patient care technician at Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

Maddalena returns to the region from Advent Health in Tampa, Florida, where she served as assis tant chief nursing officer. Under her leadership, the hospital experienced improvement in physician engage ment, nursing care and overall quality of care.

Before joining AdventHealth, Maddalena held several leadership positions during her tenure at SSM Health in Missouri and University of Florida Health in Jacksonville, Fla. She made significant contribu tions to operational improvement, team member development and implementation of standard work to ensure optimal quality outcomes for patients.

Kris holds a Master of Science in Nursing from Chamberlain College of Nursing and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She is certified Green Belt Lean Six Sigma and holds ANCC Certification in Nurse Executive – Board Certified and AONL certification Executive Nursing Practice (CENP®). She is registered by both Florida and Missouri State Boards of Nursing.

Ethan Latimer, MD, Joins Washington Regional Radiologists

FAYETTEVILLE — Ethan Latimer, MD, recently joined Washington Regional as a diag nostic radiologist. Diagnostic radiology uses imaging proce dures to diagnose and treat illnesses and injuries. Latimer is an Arkansas native and earned his medi cal degree from the the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, where he also completed a residency in diagnostic radiology.

Dr. Peter Emanuel to Serve as Vice-President of Oncology for National CommonSpirit Health System

LITTLE ROCK – CHI St. Vincent Director of Oncology Services Dr. Peter Emanuel has been appointed as Vice-President of Oncology for the entire CommonSpirit Health system. Emanuel will continue in his leadership role growing the oncol ogy program at CHI St. Vincent, which is part of CommonSpirit Health, while also serving as lead physician for CommonSpirit Health as it launches its first nationwide Oncology Clinical Institute.

“This is an incredible opportu nity to positively impact the lives and improve the health of so many people, both here in Arkansas and around the country,” said Emanuel. “I’m honored to pursue that great work while also continuing to care for my patients and build this important program here in Central Arkansas.”

Emanuel, who is an interna tionally renowned oncologist and leading researcher of adult and pediatric forms of leukemia, joined CHI St. Vincent in 2018 to grow the healing ministry’s oncology pro gram and expand cancer treatment options for its Arkansas communi ties. He previously worked with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, where he was director of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. His research has been consistently funded by the National Institutes of Health for more than 25 years and he is routinely named to the Castle Connolly “Best Doctors in America” list.

A Wisconsin native, Emanuel attended medical school at the University of Wisconsin and com pleted his internship and residency at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital. After a fel lowship in hematology/oncology at UAB, he worked as a professor in the Department of Medicine, Genetics and Biochemistry at UAB. He was acting director of UAB’s Comprehensive Cancer Institute before going to UAMS in 2007.

Jefferson Regional Welcomes Pulmonologist

PINE BLUFF - Jefferson Regional is pleased to announce that Sarenthia Epps, MD, MBA has joined the staff at Jefferson Regional Pulmonary Associates in Pine Bluff.

Epps earned her medical degree from the University of Arkansas in Little Rock, where she also completed an Internal Medicine residency,

followed by a fellow ship in Pulmonary and Critical Care. She is board cer tified in Internal Medicine and board eligible in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine.

Epps and her husband, Markale, grew up in South Arkansas. She is active in her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc. and enjoys reading, trav eling and cooking.

To make an appointment with Epps, call Jefferson Regional Pulmonology Associates at 870-541-4280.

UAMS Part of $6 Million National Effort to Make Testing for Toxins in Water and People Less Costly, Easier

LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) is co-leading a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded effort to develop advanced, inex pensive devices to detect toxins in water and people.

UAMS’ $908,952 portion of the four-year, $6 million project involves testing a novel way to detect toxins in humans, and is led by Shuk-Mei Ho, Ph.D., vice chancellor for Research and Innovation.

The multidisciplinary project team also includes researchers from Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana State University Shreveport, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Boise State University in Idaho, and the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB).

Titled, “Facilitating Ubiquitous Technology Utilizing Resilient Ecofriendly Sensors (FUTURE Sensors),” the project is funded through the NSF Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), a federal-state partnership program that aims to enhance research com petitiveness of targeted states and other jurisdictions.

A major goal of the project is to harness emerging technologies to develop an affordable new genera tion of tests for heavy metal toxins in people and to significantly increase the frequency of monitoring for toxins that leach into surface and ground water.

“This project represents an excit ing convergence of technological advances to create a new class of sensors,” Ho said. “We believe the innovations that result from our work can revolutionize both the water

testing industry as well as testing for toxic heavy metals in humans.”

The project integrates sensor inks from Boise State University, envi ronmental monitoring at University of Alabama at Birmingham, sensor characterization and fabrication at Louisiana Tech and environmental toxicity on human health at UAMS.

The overall project is led by Terri Murray, Ph.D., at Louisiana Tech, where she is associate professor of biomedical engineering and directs the Integrated Neuroscience and Imaging Lab Center for Biomedical Research and Rehabilitation Sciences.

“We are excited to receive funding from the National Science Foundation to develop FUTURE Sensors,” Murray said. “These novel devices will transform the way we detect environmental pollutants in people and in our rivers and lakes.”

The project aims to develop printable sensors to measure toxic chemicals in surface and drinking water for widespread environmental surveillance. These sensors will also measure levels of environmentallyproduced toxins in at-risk human populations and for individual use.

UAMS will focus on studying human sensors with carbon dots (fluorescent nanomaterials) that can detect heavy metals in urine. Ho’s team will work with the UAMS Translational Research Institute to test the sensors using urine from volunteer study participants.

Ho noted that existing methods for detecting heavy metals requires expensive atomic spectroscopy or another analytical technique using mass spectrometry. That contrasts with the project team’s proposed development of noninvasive human heavy metal sensors for on-site use.

The proposed low-cost water monitoring system will use biode gradable materials and printable sensor ink that can relay contami nate information in real time using cell phone technology.

“We believe this work can be a great benefit to society by providing a new generation of tests for munici pal, corporate and homeowner water supply monitoring, as well as home tests and community-based expo sure to toxins,” Ho said.

The team also plans to commer cialize its new sensor technologies and foster academic-industrial part nerships to create jobs and tax revenues that will improve the econo mies of the EPSCoR jurisdictions and in the larger sensor industry.

Ethan Latimer

Peter Emanuel

Sarenthia Epps

Ho said the project will also ben efit vulnerable communities that are disproportionately exposed to toxic chemicals, and it will broaden the participation of underrepresented groups into science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields.

The project will also encourage training and mentoring programs for students, post-doctoral scholars and early career faculty in the program.

As part of the multifaceted project, UAPB will lead a hybrid mentoring and summer research pro gram for underrepresented minority students from UAPB and the other participating institutions. The over all goal is to recruit, train and retain a diverse workforce in the sensor industry.

UAMS co-investigators on the project are:

• Linda Larson-Prior, Ph.D., professor, College of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and Department of Neurobiology and Developmental Sciences

• Yuet-Kin “Ricky” Leung, Ph.D., associate professor, College of Medicine Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology

Three Mercy-GoHealth Urgent Care Locations Scheduled to Open in Fort Smith

FORT SMITH – Mercy has teamed up with GoHealth Urgent Care to create three new walk-in clinics in Fort Smith.

The three new Mercy-GoHealth centers will replace two existing Mercy Convenient Care centers in Fort Smith and all three will open in newly renovated locations near major retail and traffic corridors. Below are the addresses of the new centers:

Mercy GoHealth Urgent Care –Phoenix Avenue

Opening Dec. 5 6801 Phoenix Ave., Suite 2

Mercy GoHealth Urgent Care –Rogers Avenue

Opening in early 2023 4620 Rogers Ave., Suite 101

Mercy GoHealth Urgent Care –Fianna Hills

Opening in early 2023 2501 Market Trace, Suite C

A ribbon-cutting and blessing is scheduled for 8 a.m. Dec. 5 at Mercy GoHealth Urgent Care – Phoenix

Avenue. Patient care will transition from Mercy Convenient Care – 79th Street at this time.

Mercy-GoHealth Urgent Care also has Arkansas locations in Bentonville, Rogers, Fayetteville, Springdale and Bella Vista, in addi tion to locations in Missouri and Oklahoma.

Mercy-GoHealth Urgent Care supports Mercy's reputation of highquality, compassionate care that helps patients be well in mind, body and spirit with industry-leading NPS patient satisfaction ratings, customerfocused technology and Innovating Commerce Serving Communities (ICSC) award-winning urgent care center design.

“Every community is experienc ing growth in patients who need on-demand, affordable health care, and Fort Smith is no different,” said Sherry Buebendorf, regional presi dent, Mercy-GoHealth Urgent Care. “We are thrilled to provide this historic area convenient access to urgent care that is directly connected to the robust services and expertise at Mercy. We look forward to being part of the Fort Smith community and serving residents directly in their neighborhoods.”

Each new center will offer treat ment for hundreds of common health concerns for adults and children 6 months and older, including COVID19, flu, fever, asthma, allergies, minor cuts, burns, pinkeye, urinary tract infections, fractures, sprains, strains and more. Onsite X-ray services and COVID-19 testing are available.

Each location will be open seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Patients have access to quality care quickly and effortlessly with the options to walk in any center, check wait times or save a spot online and pre-regis ter. Patients may also connect with a local urgent care provider remotely in a virtual visit, which can be done at the patient's convenience via a mobile device, computer or tablet.

For a full list of Mercy-GoHealth Urgent Care locations, visit https:// www.gohealthuc.com/mercy.

UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute Welcomes Four New Oncologists

LITTLE ROCK — The addition of four new oncologists will expand ser vices and increase access for patients at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and its

growing network of clinics at Baptist Health locations.

“This is our next phase in hema tology/oncology expansion as we progress toward NCI designation,” said Michael Birrer, M.D., Ph.D., direc tor of the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute and UAMS vice chancellor. “These bright young oncologists will help us provide out standing cancer care to a broader number of Arkansans.”

Sonia T. Orcutt, M.D. , joins UAMS as director of the Division of Surgical Oncology and assistant pro fessor in the Department of Surgery in the College of Medicine.

A board-certified general and complex general surgical oncolo gist, Orcutt has expertise in treating gastrointestinal and skin cancers, including liver, pancreas, gallblad der, adrenal, small bowel, appendix and stomach cancers, as well as soft tissue sarcomas and melanomas. She performs laparoscopic and minimally invasive cancer surgeries.

Orcutt is a magna cum laude graduate of Boston University School of Medicine where she was president of the Alpha Omega Honor Society. She completed her residency in general surgery and served as admin istrative chief at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, fol lowed by a fellowship in complex general surgical oncology at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute in Tampa, Florida. She practiced surgical oncology in Illinois before joining UAMS.

Orcutt is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of the Society of Surgical Oncology, Association of Women Surgeons, American Society of Clinical Oncology and the Americas HepatoPancreato-Biliary Association.

She is accepting new patients. For appointments, call 501-296-1200.

Also seeing patients at the Cancer Institute is Cesar Giancarlo Gentille Sanchez, M.D., who joins UAMS as a hematologist/oncolo gist and assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine in the College of Medicine.

Gentille Sanchez joins the Cancer Institute’s stem cell transplant and cellular therapy team specializing in the treatment of leukemia, lymphoma and myelodysplastic syndrome. He completed fellowships in blood and marrow transplantation and cellular therapy at Stanford University and in hematology/oncology at Houston Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas, where he also completed his

residency in internal medicine. He earned his medical degree from Cayetano Heredia University in Lima, Peru.

Gentille Sanchez received the 2017 HONORS Award from the American Society of Hematology and the Outstanding Fellow Award from the Texas Society of Clinical Oncology in 2019.

He is accepting new patients. For appointments, call 501-296-1200.

The following oncologists will treat patients at the UAMS Baptist Health Cancer Center at Springhill Plaza in North Little Rock:

Anusha Jillella, M.D. , joins UAMS as a hematologist/oncolo gist and assistant professor in the Department of Internal Medicine in the College of Medicine.

Jillella completed her residency in internal medicine and a fellowship

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in hematology/oncology at UAMS. She is board certified in internal medicine and the recipient of the UAMS Thomas Andreoli Award for excellence in internal medicine. She received her medical degree from Gandhi Medical College in Hyderabad, India.

She is accepting new patients. For appointments, call 501-214-2170.

Santanu Samanta, M.D. , joins UAMS as a radiation oncologist and assistant professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology in the College of Medicine.

Samanta completed his resi dency in radiation oncology at the University of Maryland Medical Center and Maryland Proton Center and a fellowship at Maryland’s Department of Radiation Oncology, Division of Translational Radiation Sciences. Before completing his training in Maryland, he received his medical degree from the University of Calcutta in West Bengal, India, and radiation oncology residency at Christian Medical College in Vellore, India. He is certifiedin proton beam radiation therapy, the most advanced form of radiation therapy coming to UAMS in 2023.

Samanta is accepting new patients. For appointments, call 501-214-2460.

John Spollen, MD, to Assume Lead Role of UAMS College of Medicine in Northwest Arkansas

FAYETTEVILLE — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine named John Spollen, M.D., as the new regional associate dean for the college in Northwest Arkansas, effective Jan. 1, 2023.

Spollen, profes sor and vice chair for education in the UAMS Department of Psychiatry, will succeed Linda L.M. Worley, M.D., professor of psychiatry, who has served as regional associ ate dean in Northwest Arkansas since 2018. Worley is stepping into a new role as chief wellness officer for the college.

The UAMS College of Medicine has 62 students in Northwest Arkansas and recently added an accelerated three-year medical pro gram in the region.

“As an award-winning edu cational leader and world-class clinician, Dr. Spollen will provide strong leadership for the growing, robust medical education programs in Northwest Arkansas,” said Susan S. Smyth, M.D., Ph.D., UAMS execu tive vice chancellor and dean of the College of Medicine. “Dr. Spollen’s leadership was a tremendous asset to our college during his service as interim chair of the Department of Psychiatry from June 2021 to February 2022, and he has held numerous other leadership roles since joining the faculty in 1999.”

Spollen has earned extensive recognition for his teaching, men toring and other work with students throughout his years with UAMS. These include the COM Educational Innovation Award, two Educational Research Awards, the Master Teacher Award, student-selected Red Sash awards annually since 2008 and the Gold Sash Award.

Spollen currently practices at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, where he has held several clinical and adminis trative roles including director of the Psychiatric Consultation-Liaison Service and the Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and Ketamine Program

for treatment-resistant depression. Spollen received his medical degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He completed his resi dency in psychiatry at the Medical University of South Carolina.

“I’m excited for this leadership opportunity with the College of Medicine at the UAMS Northwest Regional Campus,” Spollen said. “It has been my dream since residency to have a career in medical student education. I was in charge of devel oping the initial curriculum for the campus in 2008, and it has been amazing to see the growth of the program over the years. I look for ward to working with the entire team at UAMS to continue to improve the education of our students, the future physicians of Arkansas.”

“Dr. Spollen’s expertise and lead ership will be invaluable as we work to educate more medical students in the Northwest Arkansas region,” said Amy Wenger, MHSA, vice chancel lor of the UAMS Northwest Regional Campus. “I worked with Dr. Spollen in the UAMS Psychiatry Research Institute a number of years ago, and I am excited to have him here in Northwest Arkansas and on our campus.

LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine invested Susan S. Smyth, M.D., Ph.D., UAMS executive vice chancellor and College of Medicine dean, in the Arkansas Medical Society Distinguished Dean’s Chair during a Nov. 9 ceremony.

“Serving as the Dean of the College of Medicine is an incredible honor, and today I am privileged to be invested in the Arkansas Medical Society Distinguished Dean’s Chair,” said Smyth. “I am particularly appreciative of the confidence that the chancellor and provost placed in me and the opportunity to further the vision of UAMS to make Arkansas a healthier state in partnership with eminent organizations such as the Arkansas Medical Society.”

Smyth is a nationally known cardiolo gist and translational scientist who brings extensive experience in educational, clinical and research program leadership. Since joining UAMS in June 2021, Smyth has launched and expanded numerous initia tives to improve health in Arkansas while also increasing the College of Medicine’s national standings in primary care and other aspects of education, research and clinical care. She has made the pursuit of health equity, diversity and inclusion a top priority for the college.

An endowed chair is among the highest academic honors a university can bestow on a faculty member. A distinguished

chair is established with gifts of at least $1.5 million, which are invested and the interest proceeds used to support the educational, research and clinical activi ties of the chair holder. Those named to a chair are among the most highly regarded scientists, physicians and professors in their fields.

“An endowed chair is the highest honor that we can bestow on our faculty members,” said Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, UAMS chancellor and CEO of UAMS Health. “It is an indication of the work that they have done to advance our academic mission in health care, and it is an investment in their productivity in the future.”

The chair was established in 2017 by the College of Medicine and the Arkansas Medical Society for the college’s most important leadership post.

“The Arkansas Medical Society and the UAMS College of Medicine share common roots that extend to the 1870s,” said Stephanie Gardner, Pharm. D., Ed.D., UAMS provost and chief strategy officer. “The society and its members have been strong and gracious supporters of UAMS, funding scholarships, supporting our pro grams and establishing the Distinguished Dean’s Chair. We are thankful for the society’s longstanding support of our institution, faculty, students and our state.”

Smyth was recruited to UAMS from the University of Kentucky College of

Medicine, where she served as the Jeff Gill Professor of Cardiology, chief of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine and director of the Gill Heart and Vascular Institute since 2011. Since 2006, she has served as a cardiologist and funded inves tigator for the VA Health Care System.

Smyth is a physician-scientist whose clinical practice in cardiology focuses par ticularly on arterial and venous thrombosis and whose funded research examines the interplay between inflammation and thrombosis in vascular biology. She has authored more than 200 publications and contributed to over a dozen textbooks. She has remained active in teaching and mentoring throughout her career.

Smyth graduated summa cum laude from Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts, with a Bachelor of Arts in biology, before earning her doctorate in pharmacology and medical degree from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She completed her residency in internal medicine, includ ing a year as chief resident, at University Medical Center in Stony Brook, New York. She continued her training with cardiol ogy fellowships at Mount Sinai Medical School in New York and the University of North Carolina, where she joined the faculty in 2001. Smyth was recruited to the University of Kentucky in 2006.

“I was successful in recruiting Dr. Smyth to the University of Kentucky where she made astounding contributions, develop ing our clinical cardiology program into a regional powerhouse,” said Frederick C. de Beer, M.D., senior associate director for the Center for Clinical and Translational Science at the University of Kentucky. “What I find most remarkable about Susan Smyth is the talent, skill and desire in her work. Arkansas is blessed by one of the most remarkable academic physicians, and one of the most remarkable persons I have had the pleasure of working with.”

UAMS Invests Susan S. Smyth, MD, PhD, in Arkansas Medical Society Distinguished Dean’s Chair

John Spollen

Susan S. Smyth flanked by Stephanie Gardner (left) and Cam Patterson.