UAMS Doctor Establishes Endowed Fund for Excellence in Honor of Lee Parker, M.D.
| FAYETTEVILLE – University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) physician Ronald Brimberry, M.D., and his wife, Catherine, have established an endowed Fund for Excellence in honor of Lee Parker, M.D.
Parker first joined UAMS in 1973 as the Continuing Medical Education director for physicians statewide and served as the Fayetteville Area Health Education (AHEC) director from 1975 until 1996, when he officially retired. After retirement, he continued to mentor and teach residents and medical students in the UAMS Northwest Family Medical Centers until December 2020.
The initial gift of $25,000 establishes the endowment, and others are encouraged to contribute. This permanent endowment is established in the UA Foundation for the purpose of providing funds to support the strategic initiatives of the UAMS Northwest Family Medicine Residency Program in Northwest Arkansas as determined by the program director, Michael Macechko, M.D.
“My wife and I have loved living and raising our family in Northwest Arkansas and have been inspired by the example set by Dr. Parker and his devotion to medical education,” Ronald Brimberry said. “It is our hope that this fund in honor of Dr. Parker will recognize his significant impact on countless students, residents and patients that he taught and cared for during his 45-year professional career in academic family medicine.”
Brimberry is a graduate of the UAMS College of Medicine’s class of 1981. Following his residency training in family medicine at UAMS, he completed an academic fellowship and joined the faculty of the UAMS College of Medicine’s Department of Family and Preventive Medicine. An associate professor, he currently serves as the associate program director for the UAMS Northwest Family Medicine Residency Program.
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; a 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. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise including its hospital, regional clinics and clinics it operates or staffs in cooperation with other providers. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. U.S. News & World Report named UAMS Medical Center the state’s Best Hospital; ranked its ear, nose and throat program among the top 50 nationwide; and named six areas as high performing — COPD, colon cancer surgery, heart failure, hip replacement, knee replacement and lung cancer surgery. UAMS has 2,876 students, 898 medical residents and four 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.
The UAMS Northwest Regional Campus includes 273 medical, pharmacy, nursing and health professions students, 50 medical and pharmacy residents, and 1,000 community-based faculty. The campus has nine clinics including a student-led clinic and physical, occupational and speech therapy. Faculty conduct research to reduce health disparities. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.