HJAR Sep/Oct 2024

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  SEP / OCT 2024 35 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalAR.com unit’s visit. Patients will be preregistered to allow staff to prepare their contraceptive method of choice. Those methods might include the inser- tion of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC), a prescription for birth control pills, or other options. “Partnering with community-based organiza- tions is critical to this project’s success,” Conroy said. “Those partners who have established trust in their communities will help drive this project and will help move Arkansas toward a better and healthier state for all women.” The mobile health units will also be equipped to provide complementary services such as repro- ductive health education and testing for sexually transmitted infections. Clients also will be con- nected with trained community health workers who can help them access more resources and connect to other healthcare services. As part of the project, UAMS also will train nearly 50 UAMS family medicine residents on LARC insertion, as well as discuss how to initi- ate conversations with their patients regarding their reproductive health goals. The project joins another UAMS-led initiative to prevent unin- tended pregnancies by providing training and support for administrators, clinical providers and billing personnel at delivering hospitals across the state so they can offer LARC to patients who have just given birth. Immediate and early postpartum is an ideal time to begin contraception because women are accessing the healthcare system and are known not to be pregnant, said Nirvana Manning, MD, professor and chair of the UAMS Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. While percentages vary, upwards of 60% of women in Arkansas don’t return to their provider for their six-week post- partum visit. For several years Arkansas has ranked as one of the worst states in America for maternal mortality. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Preven- tion (CDC) reported last year that in 2019, about 35% of all pregnancies in the United States were unintended. In 2022, the Arkansas Department of Health said that 54% of women in Arkansas reported that they were not trying to get preg- nant when they did. The financial burden on states and the fed- eral government from unintended pregnancies is more than $21 billion, according to a 2022 report from the U.S. Congressional Joint Eco- nomic Committee. The LARC initiative has been endorsed by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecol- ogists (ACOG), the American Academy of Pediat- rics (AAP), the American Academy of Family Phy- sicians (AAFP) and the CDC as among the most effective family planning methods. Clinical prac- tice guidelines from the CDC and ACOG support immediate postpartum insertions for both IUDs and implants, with few contraindications. For more information about the UAMS Institute for Community Health Innovation, visit communi- tyhealth.uams.edu . Mercy to Open Three Primary Care Facilities Mercy will open three new Mercy Primary Care locations in former Walmart Health centers inside Walmart Supercenters. Mercy anticipates opening the three Arkansas Mercy Primary Care locations by late summer. The locations include: • 4780 Elm Springs Road, Springdale. • 2110 W. Walnut, Suite 100, Rogers. • 2100 N. 62nd St., Suite A, Fort Smith. The clinics will offer primary care – not urgent care – with appointments and walk-in availability during regular hours, which will be updated when the clinics open. “Working with Walmart to lease these excep- tionally well-located clinic spaces aligns with Mer- cy’s consumer experience and growth strategy in Arkansas,” said Ryan Gehrig, president of Mercy Arkansas Communities. Benton Family Clinic Welcomes Joseph Koon, MD Joseph Koon, MD, recently joined the team at Benton Family Clinic-A Baptist Health Affiliate. Koon is from Little Rock. He received a med- ical degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and obtained residency train- ing at UAMS Mercy Hospital Internal Medicine Residency Program. He specializes in internal medicine. “I think it is important to learn what my patients’ health goals are and to work as a team to help them achieve those goals,” Koon said. “When possible, I also prefer to promote a healthy life- style through diet and exercise before starting a new medication.” Benton Family Clinic is located at 819 W. Carpenter St. Baptist Health Family Clinic- SalemRoadWelcomes MeryemMaras-Casey, MD Meryem Maras-Casey, MD, recently joined Baptist Health Family Clinic-Salem Road’s team of providers. Maras-Casey, a native of Istanbul, received an education at Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, specializing in internal medicine. She’s completed a residency at HCA Florida Healthcare and USF Morsani College GME Oak Hill Hospital, and is now certified through the American Board of Internal Medicine. After residency training, Maras-Casey worked for Optum, owned by United Health, for more than two years as a primary care physician. Baptist Health Family Clinic-Salem Road is located at 605 Salem Road, Suite B3, in Conway. The clinic is open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. CARTI Opens Urologic Clinic in Conway CARTI is expanding its footprint with a second treatment location in Faulkner County. The CARTI Clinic in Conway, overseen by Taylor Moore, MD, a board-certified urologist, and Christie Dumboski, APRN, a urology-focused nurse practi- tioner, offers care to patients facing urologic con- ditions and related issues. The new facility at 410 Denison Street is directly across from the CARTI Joseph Koon, MD