The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and Washington Regional Medical Center celebrated the investiture on Oct. 3 of Randy Shinn, MD, as the inaugural recipient of the Pat Walker Distinguished Chair in Senior Health at the UAMS Schmieding Center for Senior Health and Education in Springdale.
An endowed chair is among the highest academic honors a university can bestow on a faculty member. A distinguished chair is established with gifts of at least $1.5 million, which are invested, and the interest proceeds used to support the educational, research, and clinical activities of the chair holder. Those named to a chair are among the most highly regarded scientists, physicians and professors in their fields.
“These endowed positions are made possible by the generosity of donors who share a vision and a passion for making a difference in our world, for helping others and for relentlessly pursuing excellence,” said Jeanne Wei, MD, PhD, chair of the Reynolds Department of Geriatrics in the UAMS College of Medicine and executive director of the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging.
“Today, the Walker Charitable Foundation continues to build a tradition of health and hope, thanks to the legacy built by Pat and Willard Walker through their selfless generosity and their vision to serve and help others,” Wei said.
The distinguished chair is named for the late Pat Walker of Springdale, who, along with her late husband Willard J. Walker, carried on a tradition of philanthropy during their lifetime and beyond as they focused on improving the quality of life, health, and education in Arkansas. “UAMS is proud to celebrate Dr. Randy Shinn as the Pat Walker Distinguished Chair in Senior Health,” said UAMS Chancellor Cam Patterson, MD, MBA. “Dr. Shinn serves a vital role as a physician leader in Northwest Arkansas and his unyielding commitment to providing world-class care for our seniors is an inspiration to all.”
“This distinguished chair is a well-earned honor for Dr. Shinn, who for over two decades has led the charge in providing seniors in our region with the best, most comprehensive primary care possible,” said Larry Shackelford, CPA, FAMCPE, president and CEO of Washington Regional Medical System. “We are proud that he is an integral part of the Washington Regional team of providers.”
“I am incredibly humbled by this honor,” Shinn said. “This endowed chair will allow our geriatric teams to continue to pursue innovative ideas, programs and projects to move the needle on senior health. I want to express my gratitude to the Walker Charitable Foundation for their continuing efforts to advance care for seniors in Arkansas.”
Shinn graduated from the UAMS College of Medicine in 1995 and has been in practice for 24 years. He completed an internal medicine residency training at the University of Utah in 1998 and a geriatric fellowship at UAMS in 1999. He is board-certified in internal medicine-geriatrics.
Shinn is medical director of the Washington Regional Senior Clinic at the UAMS Schmieding Center for Senior Health and Education in Springdale.