UAMS Celebrates New Texarkana Family Medical Center Space
The new Family Medical Center at 3417 U of A Way in Texarkana, Arkansas
| Jan. 15, 2016 | The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Southwest today celebrated the move of its Family Medical Center to a new, more accessible location at 3417 U of A Way in Texarkana, Arkansas.
The Family Medical Center recently began serving patients, moving from its previous location at 300 E. Sixth St. Both the UAMS All for Kids Pediatric Clinic and the Neighborhood Clinic will continue to operate at the East Sixth Street building.
Among the dignitaries at the opening celebration were State Sen. Jimmy Hickey, State Rep. Prissy Hickerson, both of Texarkana; State Rep. Brent Talley of Hope, Texarkana, Arkansas Mayor Ruth Penney Bell; Texarkana, Texas Mayor Bob Bruggeman; Julia Peck Mobley, a UAMS Southwest Advisory Board member and former UAMS Foundation Fund Board member; University of Arkansas trustee John Goodson of Texarkana; UAMS Chancellor Dan Rahn, M.D.; and UAMS Vice Chancellor for Regional Programs Tim Hill.
Both access and efficiency have been improved with the move. While floor space for the Family Medical Center operations is about the same, all services are now on the ground floor, making it easier for patients to enter and exit the new clinic.
“We can take even better care of patients, and they will have an easier time coming to us,” said Patrick Evans, center director – UAMS Southwest. “Patient access and workflow is better in a very efficient and modern facility. The added windows in the new space allows for more natural light to make it feel like a warm and welcoming atmosphere.”
Evans said that at the old location, different functions and personnel were scattered around the three-story structure, with faculty at another location.
The new space is designed so that providers, faculty and nursing staff are in a central hub, surrounded by patient exam rooms. This creates a collaborative space for providers and staff to communicate more effectively about patient care.
Tim Hill, far left, and Patrick Evans, center, pause during the opening celebration to listen to a speaker.
The total cost of the project is $5.78 million, including purchase of the property and renovation.
“With this creative use of space, UAMS Southwest and the Family Medical Center have demonstrated their continued commitment to patients and the patient-centered medical home,” Rahn said. “From our Little Rock campus to northwest Arkansas and here in Texarkana, UAMS is working to improve patient care for all Arkansans for a better state of health.”
A patient-centered medical home is a clinical setting where health professionals work as a team to address patients’ immediate and long-term medical needs. In 2014, the Family Medical Center in Texarkana attained a PCMH status of Level III from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
UAMS Family Medical Center in Texarkana provides primary care medical services to patients of all ages. It offers treatment of acute medical conditions and ongoing treatment for chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes, hypertension and arthritis. The clinic provides convenient diagnostic and support services on site and minor office surgical procedures.
It serves Arkansas counties: Clark, Hempstead, Howard, Lafayette, Little River, Miller, Nevada, Pike and Sevier; Texas counties: Bowie and Cass; and McCurtain County in Oklahoma.
Through its programs operating at UAMS Southwest and the university’s other regional centers, UAMS trains medical residents in family medicine while providing clinical care and health education services around the state. UAMS Southwest trains eight medical residents a year, a total of 24 residents in the three-year program.