Chancellor Visits UAMS East Regional Campus in Helena-West Helena
| University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) chancellor Lowry C. Barnes, M.D., recently met with UAMS East Regional Campus employees and discussed the newly signed co-management agreement between UAMS and Helena Hospital.
The co-management agreement allows UAMS leadership to help manage the hospital’s operations and strategy. The chancellor said that changing the trajectory will take time, given the hospital’s history of financial distress. In 2020, Helena Hospital closed its labor and delivery unit and later prevented bankruptcy by becoming a rural emergency hospital with only an emergency department and outpatient services. As a rural emergency hospital, it receives an additional 5% reimbursement on covered outpatient services for Medicare patients.
During the discussion, Sharon Wyman, who served as Helena Hospital’s director of marketing for six years and now works as an outreach coordinator and cancer
Sharon Wyman, cancer patient navigator and outreach coordinator, asks Barnes for his ideas on growth.
patient navigator for the UAMS East clinic, asked Barnes how he envisioned helping the clinic and the hospital become “better than we’ve ever been.”
Barnes emphasized that building a stronger future begins with earning the community’s trust through exceptional patient care.
“Trust in health care starts with quality care and safe care,” Barnes said. “Those have to be paramount in everything we do. Before expanding services, we have to make sure we have the fundamentals in place. Once people know they can count on us for high-quality care, then it’s up to the people in this room to build on that foundation and make a real difference.”
William McClain, administrative director, said he looks forward to expansion.
William McClain, administrative director, said his staff at the UAMS Health Family Medical Center in Helena-West Helena already delivers high-quality healthcare that area residents appreciate. The latest patient satisfaction report shows that the UAMS Health Family Medical Center in Helena-West Helena has the highest rate out of eight Regional Campus clinics in the state. This success stems from treating its small-town patients like family, he said.
“We need to expand here,” McClain said, noting that there are only three other primary care clinics in the city.
McClain said the clinic recently hired Charles Jones, M.D. The native from Hughes, Arkansas, will serve patients three days a week, four hours a day.
“We’ve been after him for two years,” McClain said.
Barnes laughs with Angela Ward, RN.
Angela Ward, a nurse who is the clinical service manager, echoed McClain and asked whether there were plans to shift part of the team to the Helena Hospital, which has empty offices.
“Let me address that real quickly and tell you that I’m not going to split you up in any way,” said Barnes. “You all will be a part of figuring out what we do and how we do it. We’ll be hiring a chief executive for this area, and you’ll work with him or her to make these decisions — here in Helena. These decisions won’t be dictated by me because that’s unfair to the community and unfair to all of you.”
Barnes and the employees mentioned several opportunities for future growth. Once the basic healthcare blocks are in place, Barnes believes a cardiologist should be one of the first specialists to add. Already, a transplant surgeon holds clinic in Helena-West Helena one Monday a month, and sports medicine specialist Michael Cassat, M.D., sees patients one day a month.
Ashley Harden, MPH, asks about hiring a physical therapist.
Ashley Harden, MPH, is the facility’s health and wellness coach. She suggested bringing in a physical therapist since the clinic has a fitness center where patients could work out. Ward also mentioned that patients must travel to Forrest City for a colonoscopy, and the hospital should offer that service.
Barnes noted that he will follow up on all these suggestions for specialists, a larger facility, and ways to increase community buy-in. He also cautioned the group that growth may stretch their limits.
“There has to be a little stress to the system to break even, which is part of the challenge. We know that if we market it, it will grow. So, let’s get ready to grow,” he said with a smile.