HJAR Nov/Dec 2020

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  NOV / DEC 2020 29 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalAR.com directing the University Women’s Clinic in 2012- 2015. Manning was promoted to associate pro- fessor with tenure in 2013. She began serving as medical director of women’s health services in 2015 and as director of women’s health services in 2017. Manning is a diplomate of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Her state lead- ership roles include serving as an inaugural appointed member of the Arkansas Maternal Mortality Review Committee. At UAMS, she has received several awards for patient satisfaction and teaching. She serves on numerous campus committees relating to patient care and quality. $780,000 Federal GrantWill Give UAMSMedical Students Hands- On Cancer Research Experience A $780,000 grant from the National Cancer Insti- tute will fund a hands-on summer cancer research experience for medical students at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). “Partnership in Cancer Research will provide focused and innovative research experiences in laboratories, community outreach programs, and clinics for selected first- and second-year students in the UAMS College of Medicine,” said Thomas Kelly, PhD, who, together with Richard Nicholas, MD, will lead the program and are co-principal investigators for the grant. The program’s first session is scheduled for summer 2021 and will run through summer 2025. It is designed to encourage medical stu- dents to pursue careers as cancer specialists and researchers The program, which is centered on a research experience, will include broad exposure to areas of cancer patient care. Based on their personal interest, students will select a faculty mentor who is engaged in either laboratory, clinical, or community-based research. Under their mentor’s leadership, they will perform a research project and integrate their experiences with a team of fellow students. Together, the teams will develop a marketable concept design to solve a cancer-related problem. Each 10-week class of 12 students will include team-based learning on the molecular and cellu- lar biology of cancer, as well as patient-oriented simulations and experiences related to cancer screening, treatment, and palliative care. Pulmonologist Joins Conway Regional Multispecialty Clinic Reena Bansal, MD, a pulmonologist, has joined the team at Conway Regional Health System. Bansal will be practicing alongside Alok Surana, MD, pulmonologist; Rachana Yendala, MD, hematologist/oncologist; and Swetha Boddeda, rheumatologist, at the Conway Regional Multi- specialty Clinic. Bansal received an internal medicine residency training at Crozer Chester Medical Center in Upland, Pa. She went on to complete a pulmon- ology and critical care fellowship at the Univer- sity of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, where she served as chief fellow. The Multispecialty Clinic is located at 525 Western Ave. Suite 305, and provides hematol- ogy/oncology, pulmonology, and rheumatology services. AR-Connect Links Arkansans With Virtual Care for Mental Illness, Stress Related to COVID-19 Arkansans experiencing mental health issues or stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic may receive immediate help 24 hours a day through the AR-Connect program at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) with no out-of-pocket cost to the patient. The program began in May and offers the opportunity to talk to a trained medical profes- sional by telephone or live video for anyone deal- ing with problems like anxiety, depression, and substance abuse or discomfort stemming from the pandemic. The AR-Connect call center is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, at (501) 526-3563 or (800) 482-9921. The live video virtual clinic oper- ates Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. “AR-Connect came about because of COVID- 19 and it has been very helpful for those dealing with the problems it has caused in their lives,” said G. Richard Smith, MD, director of the UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute and chair of the Department of Psychiatry in the UAMS College of Medicine. “There are so many people across our state needing help and not knowing where to turn, par- ticularly those worried about the effect COVID-19 is having on them and their loved ones. For them, AR-Connect has been a godsend.” Callers are screened by specially trained nurses, and if needed, are contacted by a therapist within 24 business hours. Virtual appointments are con- ducted via telephone or live video, the ultimate goal being to find help for the patients in their home community. “Many of the calls we have received since May have been from people who were unable to get help because of COVID-19 and all of the restric- tions it has caused,” said Smith. “Others may have simply needed to find resources like child care or shelter. We’ve been fortunate enough to help everyone who has called, no matter what they needed.” The lack of trained behavioral health specialists in Arkansas and the stigma associated with men- tal illness has made it difficult for many Arkan- sans to get the help they so desperately need. AR-Connect offers them timely care without the need for a referral. “Those patients who appear in danger of com- mitting suicide are given the number for the national suicide hotline or their nearest emer- gency room,” said Smith. “For everyone else, we make sure they have an appointment with a trained therapist who can evaluate their needs and determine the best way to meet them.” The AR-Connect therapists, once they are confi- dent the condition has been properly addressed, will connect the patient with a provider in the community for long-term care and follow up with the patient in a month and six months to ensure they are receiving the care needed. Reena Bansal, MD