HJAR Jan/Feb 2026

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  JAN / FEB 2026 33 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalAR.com celebrated medicating a disease, but, unfortu- nately, not solving its cause. Early in the announcement, the president said, “The United States is just four percent of the world’s population and consumes only 13 per- cent of all prescription drugs, yet pharmaceuti- cal companies make 75 percent of their profits from the American customer.” He offered the sta- tistics as proof that his administration was rein- ing in the unfairness of the high drug costs the U.S. has been paying. Ironically, this new agree- ment doesn’t dismantle that profit imbalance; it entrenches it. America will still bankroll the industry’s profits, only now through government- backed prescriptions for a preventable disease that affects half of adult Americans. Kennedy called obesity “a disease of pov- erty.” Yet the administration’s response is to sub- sidize drugs that treat the symptom rather than address the cause — lack of whole, healthy, deli- cious, affordable food for all of our citizens. What was billed as a war on chronic disease feels more like paying gas mask manufacturers to distribute gas masks to citizens, rather than simply turning off the gas. Kennedy projected that Americans would col- lectively lose 125 million pounds within a year because of this agreement. Mehmet Oz, MD, CMS administrator, upped the claim to 135 billion pounds by the midterms — a figure that would require every adult American to shed nearly 400 pounds apiece. A lot of self-congratulations happened as the administration seems focused on trying to secure a “Most-Favored-Nation” drug-pricing model, the very thing nations with socialized medicine have done for decades — negotiating national drug prices on behalf of their citizens. Here, we continue to keep capitalism in our healthcare sys- tem alive and well. This market-driven arrange- ment ensures continued profits at the expense of our citizens, even as we praise the companies for their “generosity.” We now offer them access to half our population — at $149 per month. Throughout the announcement, the word “win” echoed again and again — a “win-win” for com- panies, a “win” for patients, a “win” for America. The president repeatedly praised the CEOs’ suc- cess, calling them “fantastic,” “entitled to their money,” and “stars in the business.” He even marveled that “their stocks all went up” because of this. But this so-called “win” does nothing to change the food supply that makes us sick in the first place. We are a country where millions rely on ultra-processed, nutrient-stripped food because it’s what’s available and affordable — food that other countries would not allow on their shelves. Now, instead of fixing that, we’ll medicate its result. People may lose weight, but many will still be malnourished because of the food choices available to them — thinner, perhaps, but not healthier. If the goal of medicine is vitality, not just vanity, then this isn’t victory at all. This is capitalism at its finest — an expansion of the pharmaceutical economy, financed by taxpayers. Yes, many Americans suffering from obesity will finally have access to these drugs. That matters. But let’s not confuse access with reform. Lower prices don’t fix the system that made them necessary. None of this is to say these drugs have no place in medicine. For some people, they can be a life- line — a reset button, a first step toward regain- ing control of their health. But when access to medication becomes the stand-in for a function- ing food system, we have lost sight of what health means. If the government truly wants to make America healthy again, it must start not with phar- maceuticals, but with food — though that would be labeled a “nanny state” move and would cut into the profits of food manufacturers. Don’t want that. We are watching capitalism at its finest. Make a problem for the masses, then solve it — making money on both ends. Please send comments or questions to editor@ushealthcarejournals.com . UAMS Receives $1.5MNCI Grant for Graduate Level Certificate Program UAMS has received a $1.5 million, multiyear grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) to create a new graduate-level certificate program focused on the commercialization of cancer- related technologies. The UAMS Cancer and Developing Entre- preneurial Technologies (CADET) program will provide UAMS graduate and postdoctoral stu- dents with formal instruction, mentorship, and hands-on experience in translating laboratory discoveries into innovations that benefit cancer patients. CADET is funded through an NCI R25 educa- tion and training grant, which specifically sup- ports initiatives that promote entrepreneurship and technology transfer in cancer research. The program is recruiting up to 13 graduate and post- doctoral trainees to participate in a pilot of the yearlong program set to kick off in the fall of 2026. Students will complete a series of seminars on the fundamentals of entrepreneurship and tech- nology development, focusing on real intellec- tual property generated by UAMS researchers. Working in teams, trainees will collaborate with industry mentors and experts from BioVentures to evaluate, refine, and potentially license can- cer-related inventions. Each team will apply their learning to develop business plans and partici- pate in startup competitions, such as the Arkan- sas Governor’s Cup and the Heartland Challenge. Graduates of CADET will earn an accredited certificate that complements their existing grad- uate or postdoctoral studies and prepares them for careers in academic, biotechnology, or the startup ecosystem. Vascular Neurologist JoséMiguel Morales, MD, Joins UAMS José Miguel Morales, MD, MSc, a vascular neu- rologist and neuro-interventional surgeon, has joined the UAMS College of Medicine Depart- ment of Neurology. He comes to UAMS from the Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, California. He completed graduate studies in neuroscience at Imperial College London and earned a medi- cal degree from the University of Chicago Pritz- ker School of Medicine. He is board-certified in neurology and vascular neurology. Morales is involved in clinical and translational research, including work pioneering transvascu- lar access to the brain that eliminates the need for invasive brain surgery. He sees patients in the Neurology Clinic at the UAMS Jackson T. Stephens Spine and Neurosci- ences Institute. n