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UAMS expansion to NWA

Aporkalypse

By Aporkalypse
in Northwest Arkansas

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Aporkalypse City

Aporkalypse

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The answers we've been waiting for are the cover story in this week's Arkansas Times.

UAMS Expansion

It sounds like the students will use the existing AHEC (students already rotate at AHECs in Fayetteville, Jonesboro, Pine Bluff, Ft Smith, El Dorado and Texarkana for Family Practice and FP residencies are at all campuses) and rotate at Washington Regional and the Fayetteville VA. I had forgotten about the VA, but this clearly made Fayetteville the logical site as VAs generally are very receptive and the system is designed to integrate students and residents. Clearly the plan is to start slow and add 100 students to the 700 already on campus and 60 of these will rotate in Fayetteville their 3rd and 4th years (30 each). You would expect that number to grow some over time. The article doesn't state it but new buildings and probably residency programs will come at some point.

UAMS is already adding a pharmacy school satellite campus up there, something that the state (and really, around the country) is badly in need. If you don't know what you want to do with your life and you want a guaranteed good income and a nice life with the opportunity to live wherever you choose, that's the job.

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Aporkalypse City

Aporkalypse

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From the article:

Not that every person is banging the door for a med school but like we said...the more time progresses and the more amenities (like professional baseball) keep popping up locally all these folks in NWA, old-line bluebloods and well-heeled transplants alike, are going to want less and less to drive to Tulsa, Little Rock and Springfield for special things.

A whole new med school isn't necessary just because of the size of our state. Currently our medical school classes are 150 per year which is a lot higher per capita than other states. Mississippi has 99, for example, in their only med school. The AAMC has complete control and probably wouldn't allow a second med school in Arkansas. There is a directive from the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) to start producing more doctors, though, and a second campus like Kansas has makes a lot of sense as a method to do that. The coursework the first two years has to be in one place but the 3rd and 4th years rotations can be done at the satellite location. I interviewed for residency at KUMC in KC and they send 1/3 of their students to Wichita for their last two years. I think UAMS envisions a similar setup with basic residency programs - family practice (already there), internal medicine, ob/gyn, and general surgery. Plus, the VA affiliation would ultimately help a lot with costs. I am guessing a major donor is putting their name on the campus. Ultimately we'll have to see if Washington Regional just becomes UAMS-Fayetteville or remains a separate entity. The other hospitals and clinics in NWA aren't going to be excited about it, and I think that undertone was in the article. It might give rise to that one big dominant health system I said NWA needs so badly, though.

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mcheiss Metropolitan Area

mcheiss

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I am guessing a major donor is putting their name on the campus. Ultimately we'll have to see if Washington Regional just becomes UAMS-Fayetteville or remains a separate entity. The other hospitals and clinics in NWA aren't going to be excited about it, and I think that undertone was in the article. It might give rise to that one big dominant health system I said NWA needs so badly, though.

Could it be....Wal-Mart? :D

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Aporkalypse City

Aporkalypse

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Could it be....Wal-Mart? :D

The Jones and Walkers along with the Reynolds Foundation have all been much bigger donors to UAMS in the past, though the Waltons donated some funds including money for a chapel and auditorium at the Cancer Research center. It could be, but there are plenty of donors that could be involved.

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CentralArkansas Whistle-Stop

CentralArkansas

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From the article:

Not that every person is banging the door for a med school but like we said...the more time progresses and the more amenities (like professional baseball) keep popping up locally all these folks in NWA, old-line bluebloods and well-heeled transplants alike, are going to want less and less to drive to Tulsa, Little Rock and Springfield for special things.

I don't think people in NWA venture to Little Rock for special things. I don't really see what Little Rock offers at this point that NWA doesn't.

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mcheiss Metropolitan Area

mcheiss

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I don't think people in NWA venture to Little Rock for special things. I don't really see what Little Rock offers at this point that NWA doesn't.

Most museums and stuff that are present in Little Rock are also found in Tulsa which is a lot closer to NWA.

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Aporkalypse City

Aporkalypse

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Most museums and stuff that are present in Little Rock are also found in Tulsa which is a lot closer to NWA.

Tulsa is closer and has almost everything. Specialized medical care and law are really the only reasons to drive from NWA. Of course, a lot of people have roots in both places so a lot of people including me from one area visit the other pretty regularly to see friends and family.

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mcheiss Metropolitan Area

mcheiss

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Tulsa is closer and has almost everything. Specialized medical care and law are really the only reasons to drive from NWA. Of course, a lot of people have roots in both places so a lot of people including me from one area visit the other pretty regularly to see friends and family.

There's a bit better shopping (Utica Square) in Tulsa at the moment as well.

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Mith242 Gigalopolis

Mith242

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I read another article about this that made it sound like some state officials expected the extra funding to be provided by local sources. If that's the case the campus may not be around long considering the economic slowdown we are in.

Yeah that's not a great thing to hear. I'm wondering if they're expecting local sources to help pick up the tab from now ob or what. But I think they'd find some way to support it, even if it meant cutting back on something else. Also even though it's in Fayetteville it benefits the rest of NWA. I wonder if others would help support it like Benton County where things overall are in better shape.

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cocothief Hamlet

cocothief

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I read another article about this that made it sound like some state officials expected the extra funding to be provided by local sources. If that's the case the campus may not be around long considering the economic slowdown we are in.

This is what I expected from the get-go.

It not the best of times to be asking for $, but some folks out there are still making money had over fist and need a write-off.

I expect someone to step up, just like they did for the football stadium expansion.

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Mith242 Gigalopolis

Mith242

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This is what I expected from the get-go.

It not the best of times to be asking for $, but some folks out there are still making money had over fist and need a write-off.

I expect someone to step up, just like they did for the football stadium expansion.

Well that and this is part of the U of A system. Couldn't the U of A help fund this? I realize a lot of their money is tied into certain projects and such. But as you mentioned, I think this is important enough that surely someone will step up.

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Mith242 Gigalopolis

Mith242

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UAMS got a $100,000 donation for the future Fayetteville campus. Sounds like they've raised a third of the $3 Mil needed to convert the former Washington Regional. They're hoping this donation will help encourage more donations so that this can happen in the near future.

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Mith242 Gigalopolis

Mith242

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Just to mention some of the info of the link article. The satellite campus is now halfway to it's goal of $3 Mil. The campus should be open for the fall semester of 2009. The campus will enroll about 80 to 100 medical students and about 60 pharmacy students per year.

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butttrumpet Whistle-Stop

butttrumpet

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Great to hear. Having another 100 graduate students in Fayetteville is going to be a good thing. Plus our standard of healthcare in NWA will only get better. I have thought from time to time that the parking area across College Avenue would make a nice spot for some "on campus" housing for the students. There are really good views of downtown, the Ozarks and Old Main from up on that hill (coming down North street) as well.

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Mith242 Gigalopolis

Mith242

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Great to hear. Having another 100 graduate students in Fayetteville is going to be a good thing. Plus our standard of healthcare in NWA will only get better. I have thought from time to time that the parking area across College Avenue would make a nice spot for some "on campus" housing for the students. There are really good views of downtown, the Ozarks and Old Main from up on that hill (coming down North street) as well.

Yeah the parking area does have potential. I've taken pictures from the hillside just east of it. If you had a multistory building you could get some really nice views.

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