UAMS West Regional Campus Names Nine New Family Medicine Resident Physicians
| The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) West Regional Campus has announced the names of the nine new resident physicians who will begin practicing medicine in Fort Smith on July 1.
The new residents are:
- Caitlin Anee Elmore, M.D. – Hometown: Lenexa, Kansas.
- Kaethe Goodwin Chigumira, M.D. – Hometown: Greenwood.
- Prudence Ipaye-Adebiyi, M.D. – Hometown: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
- Dorcas Lomo, M.D. – Hometown: Choctaw, Oklahoma.
- Elaina Hope Murray, M.D. – Hometown: Kansas City, Missouri
- Sydnee Nelson, M.D. – Hometown: Clay Center, Kansas.
- Cassandra Sharp, D.O.. – Hometown: Langley, Oklahoma.
- Jack Zepeda, M.D. – Hometown: Cordova, Tennessee.
- Fashanu Olawafunto, M.D. – Hometown: Edmond, Oklahoma.
The new physicians are part of the family medicine residency program at UAMS West Regional Campus in Fort Smith. The resident physicians practice at the UAMS Family Medical Center there and at Baptist Health-Fort Smith.
“We only seek out the best and brightest candidates annually to join our residency program,” said Katherine Irish-Clardy, M.D., director of the residency program. “We are thrilled that these excellent physicians will be joining our ranks to provide quality health care for the people of western Arkansas.”
Many of the health care providers in western Arkansas were trained at the UAMS
Family Medical Center in Fort Smith, which provides primary care to patients of all ages. The center offers pediatric and obstetrical care, as well as treatment of immediate medical needs and ongoing management of chronic conditions. It serves 13 Arkansas counties: Conway, Crawford, Faulkner, Franklin, Johnson, Logan, Perry, Polk, Montgomery, Pope, Sebastian, Scott and Yell.
The UAMS West Regional Campus has graduated almost 250 residents since it was established in the 1970s, and another nine residents will graduate June 30.
“Our collaboration with Baptist Health-Fort Smith is helping us train the next generation of health care leaders for the people of Arkansas,” said Sterling Moore, vice chancellor for UAMS Regional Campuses. “We are extremely proud of these working relationships because of the excellent learning environments that they provide. We also know that those who complete their training here are more likely to stay and work here. In fact, UAMS ranks third in the nation for retaining the health care providers we train, making UAMS a good investment for the health of Arkansas.”
UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with Colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; statewide network of regional campuses; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute and Institute for Digital Health & Innovation. It is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 2,727 students, 870 medical residents and five dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.