HJLR Mar/Apr 2019

Healthcare Journal of little rock I  MAR / APR 2019 39 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalLR.com of this area.” She will treat a variety of orthope- dic, acute, and chronic conditions. She is certi- fied in dry needling, a technique physical thera- pists use for the treatment of pain and movement impairment. Robert H. Hopkins Jr., MD, Honored for Promoting Immunizations Robert Hopkins, MD, a professor at the Uni- versity of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), recently received the 2018 Outstanding Adult Immunization Champion award for exceptional dedication to protecting adults from vaccine-pre- ventable diseases. The award was given by ImmunizeAR, a non- profit organization dedicated to improving vac- cination rates for Arkansans through education, advocacy, and statewide partnerships. “We are fortunate to have thought leaders like Dr. Hopkins in our state, and ImmunizeAR is thankful to have him as an active member of our adult immunization workgroup,” said Heather Mercer, executive director of ImmunizeAR. Hopkins joined UAMS faculty in 1993 and has been a professor in the College of Medicine departments of Pediatrics and Internal Medicine since 2010. In 2012, he was named director of the Division of General Internal Medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine. He is a member of several professional and medical associations and has served on the Executive Committee of the National Influenza Vaccine Summit. “Immunizations to reduce our risk for influ- enza, pneumococcal disease, and other conta- gions are critical tools to protect the health of Americans. My goal is to help us patients and healthcare providers effectively use these tools for the better health of our communities,” said Hopkins, chairman of the National Vaccine Advi- sory Committee to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Dr. Hopkins is known for his excellence and knowledge of immunizations,” read the nomi- nation form submitted by the Arkansas Geriatric Education Collaborative/UAMS Geriatric Work- force Enhancement Program. Hopkins was rec- ognized for his assistance in creating a Facebook Live event on the importance of having adult immunizations. “He inspires young practitioners and residents to never forget the importance of preventive health and immunizations,” those nominating him explained. “Dr. Hopkins goes above and beyond to reach and educate not only patients, but resi- dents, on the importance of immunizations. He is tireless in his pursuit of raising awareness and rates of immunizations in Arkansas.” “He was nominated by several people so it was pretty easy to choose who we were going to honor,” Mercer said. UAMS Expands Transplant Services in Northwest Arkansas The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) recently added a transplant clinic at its Northwest Regional Campus, which will allow patients who live in northwest Arkansas to par- ticipate in the UAMS transplant program locally instead of traveling to Little Rock.  The current focus of the clinic is post-trans- plant patients in need of follow-up care. In the future, the clinic plans to include patients in need of transplant evaluations. The clinic at 1125 N. College Avenue schedules six to eight patients one Friday per month for follow-ups to kidney and liver transplants. Lyle Burdine, MD, surgical director for the solid organ transplant program at UAMS, said the clinic offers the exact same level of service and access to care as the UAMS multi-organ transplant pro- gram in Little Rock. “The goal, of course, is to provide the best care in our patients’ own community,” Bur- dine said, “thereby making it easier for them to remain on track with the best outcomes. These are sick patients who will need long-term fol- low-up. Whatever we can do, both in northwest Arkansas and around the state, to help them get that care is essential.” Burdine, who leads the UAMS team of trans- plant physicians and surgeons, obtained bach- elor’s degrees in chemistry and philosophy from Duke University, and an MD/PhD from the Uni- versity of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. He completed a residency in general surgery at UAMS and a fellowship in abdominal transplants from the University of California San Francisco. Kidney transplants in Arkansas date back to 1964 when the state’s first kidney transplant was performed at UAMS. The first liver transplant in Arkansas was performed in 2005. “UAMS is the home of the only adult liver and kidney transplant programs in the state,” said Pearl McElfish, PhD, vice chancellor of the UAMS Northwest Regional Campus. “We can now offer our local transplant patients and their families the finest in transplant care through our caring and compassionate team right here in northwest Arkansas.” Sayre Sellars Robert Hopkins, MD Lyle Burdine, MD