HJAR Nov/Dec 2019

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  NOV / DEC 2019 21 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalAR.com to focus less on making money in their careers and more on really caring about people.” The College of Medicine has educated and trained more than 10,000 physicians since 1879, and has an annual enrollment of nearly 700 stu- dents. It is regularly listed in the top 10 nation- wide for the percentage of its graduating class that pursue a career in family medicine. More than half of the practicing physicians in Arkansas are UAMS graduates. More than two-thirds of Arkansas’ 75 counties include federally designated Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Areas. Primary care phy- sician shortages are projected to increase sub- stantially as the state’s population continues to age and require more medical care, and as more Arkansans seek primary care services. The high cost of medical school and the burden of educational debt that most medical students face when entering their postgraduate residency training can be a factor in choosing higher-paying specialties instead of primary care and practicing in rural areas. The average medical school debt of recent UAMS graduates who have educational debt is about $190,000. Mercy ClinicWelcomes NewProviders David George Grant, MD, began in May as an otolaryngologist at Mercy Clinic Ear, Nose, and Throat. Grant earned a medical degree from the University of Aberdeen School of Medicine in Scotland. He completed residencies in gen- eral surgery at NHS Education for Scotland North Region and in otolaryngology head and neck sur- gery at Severn Deanery in Bristol, England. He has fellowships in research at the Mayo Clinic and head and neck oncological surgery at the Univer- sity of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Grant is a veteran of the Royal Air Force, where he was a flight lieutenant, squadron leader, and medical officer. He also speaks German. Sarah Collins, APRN, began in May as a board- certified nurse practitioner at Mercy Clinic Car- diology – 7001 Rogers Ave. Collins has a Master of Science in Nursing from Walden University in Minneapolis and a Bachelor of Science in Nurs- ing from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She was a registered nurse from 2006 to 2014 and has been a nurse practitioner since 2015. Carol Cook, APRN, began in April as a board- certified family nurse practitioner at Mercy Clinic Gastroenterology – Tower West. Cook has 21 years of advanced practice experience. She founded a walk-in clinic in Florida for homeless, working poor and uninsured children and adults. The advanced practice registered nurse has a Master of Nursing Science from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, a Bachelor of Sci- ence in Nursing from Arkansas Tech University, and associate degrees in nursing and business from Westark Community College. Ella Cureton, APRN, joined Mercy Clinic Fam- ily Medicine – Paris in April as a board-certified family nurse practitioner. Cureton received a Mas- ter of Science in Nursing from Purdue University Global with a family nurse practitioner certifica- tion. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Nurs- ing from the University of Arkansas. Cureton pre- viously was a registered nurse for many years, primarily as an emergency traveling nurse. She worked in the ER at Mercy Hospital Fort Smith from 2012 to 2014. She is available for appoint- ments at the Paris clinic. Heather Loyd, APRN, joined Mercy Clinic Inter- nal Medicine and Pediatrics – Dallas Street in May as a board-certified family nurse practitioner. Loyd worked at Mercy Hospital Fort Smith from 2004- 2005 as a licensed practical nurse in labor and delivery and from 2007-2008 in labor and delivery and the ER. She has a Master of Science in Nurs- ing from Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash., a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Oklahoma Wesleyan University in Bartlesville, and an Asso- ciate of Applied Science in Nursing from Carl Albert State College in Poteau, Okla. Amanda McClure, APRN, began in May as a certified nurse practitioner at Mercy Clinic Endo- crinology. McClure is credentialed as an adult- gerontology acute care nurse practitioner. She has a Master of Science in Nursing from Vander- bilt University in Nashville, Tenn., and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Arkansas State Univer- sity, where she was magna cum laude and was the BSN program valedictorian. Sandra Odom, APRN, joined Mercy Clinic Inter- nal Medicine – Tower West in May as a board- certified family nurse practitioner. Odom was a licensed practical nurse and registered nurse for more than 10 years and a clinical instructor at Arkansas Tech University. She has a Master of Science in Nursing from Walden University, and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the Univer- sity of Arkansas. Bentlee Rundell, APRN, joined Mercy Clinic Family Medicine – Fianna Hills in April as a board- certified family nurse practitioner. Rundell was a registered nurse at Mercy Hospital Fort Smith in 2014 and 2015. The advanced practice regis- tered nurse has a Master of Science in nursing from Chamberlain College of Nursing in Addison, Ill., and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Tennessee at Martin. David D. Walker, MD, Joins UAMS as Otologist Specializing in Ear Conditions, Hearing Loss David D. Walker, MD, has joined the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) as an otologist/neurotologist specializing in disorders of the middle and inner ear and treating hearing loss, including cochlear implantation. Walker sees patients in the Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic in UAMS’ Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, 501 Jack Stephens Drive, Little Rock. He is an assistant professor in the Department of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery in the UAMS College of Medicine. Walker completed fellowship training in otol- ogy, neurotology, and skull base surgery at Mich- igan Ear Institute, Farmington Hills, Mich. This training also covered neurological ear condi- tions and the complicated surgical procedures for tumors close to the base of the skull. His special- ized training includes the treatment of superior David Walker, MD