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The new UAMS Health Family Medical Center is located at 620 W. Grove St., Suite 202, in El Dorado.
Image by Bryan Clifton
| 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.
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 — Dr. Joseph DeLuca; Martha Garrett-Shaver, MD; Tiffany Lucas, APRN; and Julie Wiley, APRN — has joined UAMS Health and will see existing patients as well as new ones. Donya Watson, MD, will offer primary care services at the Family Medicine Center while continuing to see OB/GYN patients at the nearby Women’s Clinic of South Arkansas.
“UAMS is committed to providing high-quality medical care to El Dorado patients while ensuring they can continue to see the healthcare professionals they know and trust,” said Cam Patterson, MD, MBA, UAMS chancellor and CEO of UAMS Health.
UAMS Health Family Medical Center opened its doors to patients on March 19. The center is a comprehensive primary care facility offering services such as:
- Annual examinations and prevention
- Emergency care for minor injuries and unexpected illnesses
- Ongoing care for medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma and heart disease
- vaccinations
- Specialized care for pregnant and postpartum women and babies
- Pediatric care
- School and sports exercises
Patients who need specialty care can receive treatment at the nearby South Arkansas Regional Hospital, but will also be able to receive referrals to top specialists at UAMS Health Care facilities in Little Rock.
Those wishing to make an appointment at the Center for Family Medicine can call 870-639-9939.
The opening of the Family Medical Center marks the latest step in UAMS’ plan to rebuild a regional campus in El Dorado. UAMS currently operates eight regional campuses that seek to create sustainable education and training pipelines to address the shortage of primary care physicians in rural communities.
Richard Turnidge, MD, vice chancellor for UAMS regional campuses, said studies show the majority of family physicians practice within 100 miles of their training location.
“It is important that future health professionals have the opportunity to see the impact they can make in rural areas,” he said.
UAMS is the only state health sciences university with colleges of medicine, nursing, pharmacy, health professions and public health; high school; hospital; main campus in Little Rock; Northwest Arkansas Regional Campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and eight institutes: 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 spans the entire UAMS clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only Level 1 trauma center for adults in the state. UAMS has 3,275 students, 890 physicians and fellows, and five dentists. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 12,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who care for patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter)YouTube or Instagram.
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