Lowell Centers for Children Growing to Meet Demand

UAMS/ACH Centers for Children in Lowell, a collaboration between UAMS and Arkansas Children’s Hospital, recently wrapped up reconfiguration construction on its second-floor offices and exam rooms. The new layout of the 20,000-SF space will allow for more medical staff and patient care. Sixty-five new parking spaces were added in the rear of the building.

Angie Hardcastle, medical administrator, said she hopes to add about 10 employees over the next phase of the Centers for Children, including doctors and nursing staff. A neurologist was recently added to the staff and a general pediatrician will come on board in mid-November. About 55 work there now.

The idea is to reduce the number of doctors that travel from Little Rock every Wednesday and provide a greater level of care for patients in Northwest Arkansas.

Astryd Menendez, medical director and pediatric pulmonologist, said the Centers saw about 4,000 patients when it opened in 2007. The numbers were 8,000 in fiscal 2009 and 2010. It’s estimated that 7,000 children in Northwest Arkansas do not have a primary care physician, so many of those end up at area emergency rooms. The CFC helps alleviate that demand.

Dr. Eudice Fontenot, a pediatric cardiologist, held a clinic at the CFC on recent Wednesday. He said ACH is actively recruiting cardiologists.

Three clinics are held weekly — adolescent medicine, pulmonology and cardiology — and several others rotate once a month. The Schmieding KIDS FIRST program and an occupational, physical and speech language therapy clinic are on the first floor of the building.

 The CFC has a budget of $1.5 million for fiscal 2011.