HJAR Jan/Feb 2025

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  JAN / FEB 2025 31 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalAR.com He later completed an internship at the University of Tennessee and residency training at Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, Georgia. For more than 15 years, Champion has prac- ticed in various hospital settings and indepen- dently across Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Georgia. He specializes in general surgery and wound care. Baptist Health Specialty Clinic-Arkadelphia is located just off Interstate 30, across from Bap- tist Health Medical Center-Arkadelphia, at 2915 Cypress, Suite D. The clinic is open Monday- Friday from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., offering surgical and orthopedic care for Arkadelphia and surround- ing communities. UAMS Center for Addiction Services Employs New Technology to Treat Opioid Addiction The drug methadone, commonly used to treat opioid addiction by detoxification and mainte- nance, requires daily visits to an outpatient clinic as well as countless counseling sessions and drug screenings. The intensive treatment also comes with a sense of stigma that can be more difficult to deal with than the actual therapy. Recognizing the barrier that daily visits can pose, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sci- ences (UAMS) Center for Addiction Services and Treatment is rolling out a hybrid care program designed to better meet the needs of its patients and improve their chances of overcoming their dependence on opioids. The Center for Addiction Services (CAST), per federal and state regulations, requires patients to make five or six daily trips each week to the clinic to receive their methadone and to undergo two hours of group therapy and another hour of coun- seling each week. Working with Sonara Health, CAST is now able to allow eligible patients the opportunity to record videos of themselves tak- ing their medication. The videos are uploaded to the company’s secure repository, where the CAST care team will review them. “Many of our patients live far from Little Rock and have jobs. Coming here every day for treat- ment can be a hardship and disruptive to their lives,” said Michael Mancino, M.D., CAST’s medi- cal director. “With Sonara, they only have to come in one day a week or less as opposed to five or six days per week.” Subsidized by a federal grant from the Sub- stance Abuse and Mental Health Services Admin- istration (SAMHSA), the new hybrid approach to treatment also will hopefully eliminate some of the negative stereotypes associated with using methadone to treat opioid use disorder and increase the number of patients with an opioid addiction who seek treatment, said Mancino. “This will help people who may have multiple jobs or children they have to care for, it will make their schedules a lot easier,” said Mancino. “They will get the same level of care we’ve always pro- vided; it will just be easier to access now.” Patients who are determined by Mancino to be clinically stable will be eligible for the new pro- gram. Patients who are not clinically stable will continue to receive treatment in the traditional manner through the clinic. AMMC Family Practice &Urgent CareWelcomes MelissaWright, MD AMMC Family Practice & Urgent Care wel- comed Melissa Wright, MD, board-certified family medicine physician. The office is located at 1110 W. Kings Highway in Paragould, Ark. Wright has previously practiced at Ozarks Healthcare in Thayer, Mo., and Mammoth Spring, Ark. A graduate of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, she completed a family medicine residency at the University of Ten- nessee, Memphis. Patients may schedule an appointment from Monday-Thursday between 8 a.m.-6 p.m. or use a walk-in appointment option. UA Little Rock Receives $5M to Combat Drug Use Among Arkansas Youth The University of Arkansas at Little Rock has received $5 million in federal funding to address the growing drug and opioid crisis among youth in Arkansas. The Arkansas Youth Drug-Use Reduction Pro- gram will be led by MidSOUTH, a training and education community service unit of the Col- lege of Business, Health, and Human Services at UA Little Rock, in partnership with national experts, state and local agencies, and commu- nity stakeholders. The initiative aims to conduct a statewide assessment and develop an evidence-based, Arkansas-specific curriculum designed to educate young people about the dangers of drug use. The program aims to reach 100,000 youth within its first year, with plans to expand as the curricu- lum is implemented. MidSOUTH’s collaboration with experts and state agencies will ensure that the campaign effectively addresses the unique needs of Arkansas communities and fosters long- term prevention efforts. The curriculum and training materials cre- ated from this funding will be provided at no cost to school districts, law enforcement agen- cies, nonprofits, and other stakeholders. If you are interested in the curriculum, contact April Null, Arkansas Youth Drug-Use Reduction Pro- gram coordinator, at acnull@midsouth.ualr.edu or (501) 891-2964. UAMS College of Nursing Receives $300KGrant from Windgate Foundation The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Nursing received a $300,000 grant from the Windgate Foundation. The grant will fund scholarships, student fees and book costs for 20 students enrolled in the College of Nursing. The Windgate Foundation has partnered with UAMS since 1996, and in addition to the Col- lege of Nursing, it has made contributions to the College of Pharmacy, the Graduate School, the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, the Cord Blood Bank of Arkansas, and endowed chairs in several UAMS departments. n Melissa Wright, MD