View Larger Image Gov. Asa Hutchinson talks with National Guard soldiers who have been deployed to UAMS to help with COVID-19 testing.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson talks with National Guard soldiers who have been deployed to UAMS to help with COVID-19 testing. Image by Bryan Clifton

Governor Welcomes 12 National Guard Soldiers to UAMS COVID Testing Facility

By Yavonda Chase

| Gov. Asa Hutchinson visited the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Tuesday to welcome 12 Arkansas National Guard soldiers who were assisting with COVID-19 testing.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson speaks with Chancellor Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, Medical Center CEO Steppe, M.D., and other members of Team UAMS during a tour of the UAMS COVID-19 Drive-Thru Screening site.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson speaks with Chancellor Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, Medical Center CEO Steppe, M.D., and other members of Team UAMS during a tour of the UAMS COVID-19 Drive-Thru Screening site.Image by Bryan Clifton

By 9:15 a.m. when the governor arrived, more than 100 people were waiting in the drive-thru to be tested for COVID-19. A number of UAMS employees on foot also waited for tests.

“The line of cars I see today reminds me of what we saw in 2020 during the first COVID surge,” said Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, UAMS chancellor and CEO of UAMS Health. “I am so grateful for our staff who have been working this triage area for nearly two years. I am also grateful to Gov. Hutchinson and the 12 National Guard members he has sent to help us.”

The National Guard soldiers are handling administrative duties at the screening site, which allows the doctors, nurses and technicians to move patients through the line more quickly, Patterson said. The Guard presence also has allowed UAMS to expand the testing hours for the drive-thru, which is now open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. seven days a week.

“When Dr. Patterson reached out to me for assistance, I was happy to help,” said Hutchison. “Testing is one of the best tools we have against COVID-19, and I’m glad to be able to support this important work.”

Hutchinson said he also was grateful for the opportunity to thank UAMS’ “exceptional” health care workers who have worked tirelessly for nearly two years.

“Testing is a critical part of our response to COVID, especially with the new omicron variant, which is so transmissible,” said Patterson. “We want testing readily available for Arkansans, so I’m so grateful that the Guard assistance has allowed us to expand our hours.”

On Monday, UAMS tested about 877 people statewide, including more than 700 at the UAMS COVID-19 Drive-Thru Screening site, located on the Little Rock campus at Shuffield Drive and Jack Stephens Drive.

“We are expecting to test as many, if not more, people today,” said Patterson.

Hutchinson’s visit to UAMS came hours before he announced the state had recorded 6,562 new cases in the past 24 hours, a record high. The state also had a record high number of active infections with 32,280 cases and a record-breaking 7-day positivity rate of 25.5%, Hutchinson said during a media briefing.

Patterson said during the tour that he expects the numbers of Arkansans infected with COVID to continue to rise.

“The good news is that the increase in hospitalizations has leveled out for now,” he said. “With omicron, we’re seeing fewer lung complications, which are what typically drive hospitalizations. However, the increased transmissibility of omicron means that we can’t let down our guard.”