The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith (UAFS) have entered into a formal Memorandum of Agreement designed to create accelerated pathways for UAFS graduates pursuing careers in healthcare.
The agreement covers 14 UAMS programs across four colleges and offers qualifying UAFS students guaranteed interviews, priority application review, or automatic admission.
The Arkansas Medical Society, a physician group advocating for healthcare improvements statewide, recently elected new officers who will help lead the organization in 2026 and 2027. Naveen Patil, MD, MHSA, MA, FACP, FIDSA, of Little Rock, has been named the 2026–2027 AMS president. Patil is the deputy state health officer and the medical director for Infectious Diseases for the Arkansas Department of Health.
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) received $500,000 from Helen and Nick Lang, MD, and $500,000 from Kent C. Westbrook, MD, to the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, both in honor of Westbrook’s late wife, Jonnie Kay Westbrook.
The Langs gift establishes the Jonnie Westbrook Endowed Fund for Excellence in support of the Cancer Institute Auxiliary, and Westbrook’s gift establishes the Jonnie K. Westbrook Endowed Fund for Excellence in support of the highest priorities of the Cancer Institute, including the Auxiliary.
The Arkansas Medical Society has recognized Sisira Yadala, MD, director of the Level 4 Comprehensive Epilepsy Center at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, with its 2026 Best Faculty Award (Mid-Career) for her advancement in epilepsy care across the state.
Under her leadership, the Epilepsy Center has expanded advanced diagnostic and surgical options for complex cases and grown its clinical research, driving trials on innovative therapies for drug-resistant epilepsy.
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine received a $110,000 grant from the Dorothy Snider Foundation, a fund managed by the Memphis Medical Society, for student scholarships.
