HJAR Sep/Oct 2025

frustrated, and more engaged in sys- temic improvement, the quality of care improves across the board. Hospitals run more smoothly. Communication improves. Resources are used more efficiently. And patients experience a healthcare system that is more responsive, humane, and effective. Looking Ahead: A Model for National Growth While the program is in its inaugural year, the response has been overwhelmingly positive. Participants have praised the rel- evance of the content, the quality of instruc- tion, and the opportunity to connect with peers across specialties in a shared learning environment. There is already interest in expanding the program to other institutions. The organiz- ers envision a future where business edu- cation becomes a standard part of post- graduate medical training — not just an optional add-on, but a core component of what it means to be a twenty-first-century physician. “We’re just getting started,”Sasaki-Adams emphasized. “This is the beginning of a broader movement to prepare physicians to be leaders — not just in the operating room or clinic, but in boardrooms, policy discus- sions, innovation labs, and beyond.” They also hope to build an alumni net- work of graduates from the program who continue to support one another, share insights, and drive change in their own institutions. Training Doctors to Lead, Not Just to Heal The Business Certificate for Residents and Fellows represents a bold step forward inmedical education. It recognizes that clin- ical excellence and business literacy are not opposing goals — they are complementary skills that, together, create better doctors and stronger healthcare systems. By giving residents and fellows the tools to understand, navigate, and shape the busi- ness side of medicine, UAMS and theWalton College of Business are investing not only in their students, but in the future of health- care itself. This programmay have started inArkan- sas, but its impact could reach far beyond state lines. As more institutions recognize the need to prepare physicians for the reali- ties of modern medicine, this model offers a compelling and actionable example of what’s possible when disciplines come together with a shared purpose. Teaching the art and science of medi- cine has its place, but now it’s time we also teach the business of medicine — because our doctors, and our patients, deserve noth- ing less. n T. GLENN PAIT, MD Professor of Neurosurgery and Orthopaedics, UAMS Director, Jackson T. Stephens Spine and Neurosciences Institute T. Glenn Pait, MD is a professor of neurosurgery and orthopaedics at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and director of the Jackson T. Stephens Spine and Neurosciences Institute, and holds the Distinguished Jackson T. Stephens Chair in Spine Surgery. He received his MD and completed his neurosurgery residency at George Washington University School of Medicine. He is board- certified through the American Board of Neurological Surgery and is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, the American Association of Neurological Surgery, and Congress of Neurological Surgeons. He hosts the weekly radio show Here’s to Your Health, offering patient education, medical insights, historical context, and translational research to a broad audience. DEANNA SASAKI-ADAMS, MD Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery, UAMS Deanna Sasaki-Adams, MD, MBA is professor and chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). She previously served as vice chair of quality and clinical operations, medical director of neurosurgery services, and associate program director of the neurosurgery residency at UAMS. She earned her medical degree from the University of Wisconsin and completed residency and fellowships at University of North Carolina and Saint Louis University. She also holds a global executive MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School. HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  SEP / OCT 2025 23