LITTLE ROCK -- The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) held a ribbon-cutting ceremony today 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 providers -- Joseph DeLuca, M.D.; Martha Garrett-Shaver, M.D.; Tiffany Lucas, APRN; and Julie Wylie, APRN -- has joined UAMS Health and will see existing patients as well as new ones. 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.
"UAMS is committed to providing high-quality medical care to patients in El Dorado, while also ensuring that they can continue to see the health professionals they know and trust," said Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, chancellor of UAMS and CEO of UAMS Health.
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'll also be able to gain referrals to top specialists at UAMS Health facilities in Little Rock.
Those who wish to schedule an appointment with the Family Medical Center can call 870-639-9939.
The Family Medical Center opening marks the latest step in UAMS' plan to reestablish a regional campus in El Dorado. UAMS currently operates eight Regional Campuses, which strive to create sustainable educational and training pipelines to address the state's shortage of primary care physicians in rural communities.
Richard Turnage, M.D., vice chancellor for UAMS Regional Campuses, said studies have shown that a majority of family physicians practice within 100 miles of their residency training site.
"It's important that future health professionals have opportunities to see the impact they can make in rural areas," he said.
UAMS is the state's only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and eight institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute, Institute for Digital Health & Innovation and the Institute for Community Health Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS' clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,275 students, 890 medical residents and fellows, and five dental residents. It is the state's largest public employer with more than 12,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children's, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube or Instagram.