Brenda and Robert Gullett Jr. Gift Supports UAMS Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Facility
| LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) received a $1 million gift from Brenda Gullett and Robert R. Gullett Jr., M.D., associate professor and orthopaedic surgeon at the UAMS Northwest Regional Campus, to benefit the UAMS Health Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Hospital in Springdale.
“A lifetime of caring for people drives my desire to leave a legacy through UAMS,” said Robert Gullett. “I can think of no better occasion. The Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Hospital is a landmark statement for healthcare in Northwest Arkansas, offering general patients world-class clinical care, while also creating unparalleled treatment for student-athletes, something that I’ve been passionate about for many years.”
Because of the Gulletts’ generosity, the UAMS Health Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Hospital’s sports medicine clinic will be named the Dr. Bob Gullett Clinic for Sports Medicine.
“The Gulletts have served Arkansas for many years, not only through Bob’s many years as an orthopedic surgeon and Brenda’s time as an elected official, but also through their advocacy for providing communities what they need to thrive,” said UAMS Chancellor C. Lowry Barnes, M.D.
“Northwest Arkansas is a community that is greatly expanding and now is a critical time to meet the healthcare needs of this area,” he added. “Thanks to advocates and philanthropists like the Gulletts, I believe we are answering the call for world-class care through facilities such as the soon-to-open Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Hospital.”
Brenda Gullett, a Houston native, graduated from the University of Houston in 1970. From 1993-1998, she served as justice of the peace for Jefferson County. She served in the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1999-2000 and the Arkansas Senate from 2001-2004. During her time of service, Gullett was a champion of access to quality healthcare, especially in underserved and rural areas.
Brenda and Robert Gullett sign the final beam during the April 24 topping out ceremony for the facility.
“As a result of working with UAMS while serving in the legislature, I consider UAMS to be the bright star of our state,” Brenda Gullett said. “This new facility being located in Northwest Arkansas is yet another example of positively impacting both healthcare and the local economy.”
Robert Gullett, graduated from the Louisiana State University (LSU) School of Medicine in New Orleans in 1969. He completed an internship and residency in orthopedic surgery from LSU Health Shreveport in 1970 and 1974, respectively. After his medical training, he served for two years in the U.S. Army at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
For over 30 years, he worked in private practice in orthopaedic surgery in Pine Bluff. From 1978-2006, he also served as an adjunct faculty member for what is now the UAMS South Central Regional Campus in Pine Bluff.
“My career in Pine Bluff, and especially my time spent as team doctor for the Pine Bluff Zebras athletic department, ignited my interest in taking care of athletes,” Robert Gullett said. “Being on the sidelines during those games made it evident to me that we needed primary care physicians who are trained in all aspects of sports medicine.”
Years later, Gullett was instrumental in establishing Arkansas’ first sports medicine fellowship, offering advanced training on diagnosis and treatment of sports-related illness and injury for University of Arkansas student-athletes. Currently practicing in Fayetteville, Gullett sees patients at the Internal Medicine Clinic at Butterfield Village and the UAMS Health Family Medical Center.
“The Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Hospital will allow us to offer world-class orthopaedic surgical care in a warm and inviting space,” said Wes Cox, M.D., section chief of UAMS Health’s orthopaedic and sports medicine team in Northwest Arkansas. “Over the last few years, I have seen how passionate many people have been about this project, which is certainly a driving force in this facility’s inception, construction, and in 2027, it’s opening. The Gulletts have certainly been at the heart of this project, and we are grateful for their support.”
The new facility will be the home in Northwest Arkansas for UAMS Health orthopaedic surgical care and will include exam rooms, operating rooms, and inpatient beds. The facility will also provide sports medicine care, sports performance training, physical therapy, and MRI, supplementing UAMS’ existing orthopaedic and sports performance clinics in the area.
UAMS is the exclusive orthopaedic and sports medicine provider for Razorback Athletics, and the facility will provide specialized care for the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville’s student-athletes.
UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a 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 the Institute for Community Health Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,553 students and 1,030 medical residents and fellows, and two dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with about 12,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube or Instagram.###