HJAR Mar/Apr 2023

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  MAR / APR 2023 33 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalAR.com through the ADH BreastCare program. Since its inception, the BreastCare Program has enrolled more than 128,000 women for breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services. Addi- tionally, the program provides educational infor- mation to communities about the importance of regular cervical cancer screening. For more information about cervical can- cer screening, call 833-693-2942 or visit www. ARBreastCare.com to see if you are eligible and to find a provider. UAMS Study Finds One in Four Adults Have Experienced Loss Due to COVID-19 One in four U.S. adults has experienced the death of a family member or close friend due to COVID-19, according to a study led by research- ers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sci- ences (UAMS) Office of Community Health & Research. The study, “COVID-19 Death Exposure Among Adults in the United States,” analyzed the responses of participants who self-reported the death of a loved one due to COVID-19. Other studies show that those who experienced loss due to COVID-19 have also suffered prolonged or complicated grief and that those grieving the loss of a close relative or friend experience increased chances of physical health issues and higher rates of disability, medication use, hospitalization, and depressive symptoms. “People who have suffered loss during the pan- demic may still be suffering,” said Don E. Willis, PhD, an assistant professor in the Office of Com- munity Health & Research. “The impact of the pandemic does not end at the point of death, but ripples out across social networks. Even if the last COVID-19 death were to occur tomor- row, the staggering loss of life from the pandemic will likely be impacting the lives and health of the bereaved for many years to come.” UAMS researchers also found that minority pop- ulations — particularly Black individuals — experi- enced greater risk of death due to COVID-19, as did people 60 or older, married couples, or peo- ple who had forgone treatment due to health- care costs. “This study showed that there have been major racial disparities in exposure to the loss of close friends or family due to COVID-19,” Willis said. “This is critical for understanding how the pan- demic may shape health disparities moving for- ward because unequal death exposure is a con- tributor to racial health disparities.” There have been more than 1 million deaths related to COVID-19 in the United States, accord- ing to the World Health Organization. Nearly 12,700 Arkansans have died from the virus, according to the Arkansas Department of Health, which also reported that 72% of Arkansans who died of COVID-19 since February 2021 were not fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. The U.S. Food & Drug Administration approved bivalent booster shots for both Pfizer and Mod- erna, which target new Omicron variants of the coronavirus. The Pfizer booster is authorized for ages five and up, and the Moderna booster is authorized for ages six and up. The latest COVID booster is currently being offered at all UAMS Health primary care clinics and by the UAMS Office of Community Health & Research at mobile health events throughout the state. For more information or to view the sched- ule of upcoming mobile health events, visit nwa. uams.edu/covid. Baptist Health Specialty Clinic-North Little Rock Adds Two Endocrinologists Endocrinologists Soumya Thumma, MD, and Bhavana Vemula, MD, recently joined Baptist Health Specialty Clinic-North Little Rock. Thumma received a medical education from the Prathima Institute of Medical Sciences in affiliation with University of Health Science in Telangana, Indiana. She completed residency training at Quinnipiac University Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine and St. Vincent Medical Center in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Additionally, Thumma completed a fellowship at the University of Arkansas Medical for Sciences and is board-certified in diabetes, endocrinology, and metabolism. Vemula received a medical education at BLDE University’s Shri B. M. Patil Medical College in Kar- nataka, India. She completed residency training in internal medicine at Marshall University’s Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine of Huntington, West Virginia, where she also completed a fel- lowship in diabetes, endocrinology, and metab- olism. Vemula is board-certified in endocrinology. Baptist Health Specialty Clinic-North Little Rock is located on the Baptist Health Medical Center- North Little Rock campus at 3201 Springhill Drive, Suite 350. RhondaM. Dick, MD, and Joseph Kennedy Dick, MBA, Establish Endowed Scholarship in UAMS College of Medicine The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has received a $2 million commitment from Rhonda M. Dick, MD, and Joseph Kennedy “Ken” Dick, MBA, to establish the Dr. Rhonda and Ken Dick Endowed Scholarship in the UAMS Col- lege of Medicine. This pledge is made through their revocable trust. “We are profoundly grateful to Dr. Rhonda and Ken Dick for their generosity and dedica- tion to young Arkansans, especially those from rural areas, who aspire to become physicians and Soumya Thumma, MD, Bhavana Vemula, MD