12
people
Family Focused WORDS Dwain Hebda images courtesy Dr. Kendall Wagner
Dr. Kendall Wagner didn’t get where he is by taking
Kendall joined the staff of Mercy Hospital where he would
shortcuts. Just to become a doctor, the native of Waldron
work for the next five years and in time, transition out to
faced double the amount of college training of the typical
the Chaffee Crossing area as a Mercy doctor where the next
college graduate, but even by medical school standards, his
exciting step in his medical story was about to unfold.
education workload was substantial as he trained in both pediatrics and internal medicine among three hospitals in
“I started working on making a transition about two years
Little Rock. By the close of that, he had earned the rank of
ago,” he says. “It’s always been a dream of mine to have
chief resident for internal medicine/pediatrics.
my own clinic and have a place that was rooted in the community, that was growing with the community, and to
All that was impressive enough, but to Kendall, signaled only
be there as that anchor for health for families.”
the beginning stanza of his dream. The next piece was to return to western Arkansas and serve the area where he grew up.
“Obviously, there are things you work up to do that; you need to build your name in the community, you financially
“Being able to come back to this area eight years ago was
have to get where you need to be and then finding the
such a great thing for me,” he says. “That was the reason
right spot in the right area. Thankfully, all of those things
why I went to medical school, was to be able to come back
came together with divine intervention to culminate in the
to the River Valley and provide quality medical care.”
right opportunity.”
DOSOUTHMAGAZINE.COM
