Forty Under 40: Lance Henry

Lance Henry was a junior at UAMS when a family friend, a plastic surgeon, told Henry that if he could do it over, he would’ve specialized in Mohs micrographic surgery, the most precise and advanced technique for treating skin cancer.

The words resonated with Henry, now one of the state’s leading dermatologists. He is one of only seven Mohs surgeons in Arkansas — the only one in Northwest Arkansas — and the only one to complete fellowship training in both micrographic surgery and procedural /cosmetic dermatology.

Henry, valedictorian and captain of the football team at Jonesboro, earned a microbiology degree from Arkansas in 1997, followed by 10 years of medical training in Little Rock and New York.

Beginning his career here was an easy choice.

“It didn’t hurt that it was a booming area, and I’m a huge Razorback fan,” he said. “So much so that it contributes to where I live.”

It was a wise move professionally, too. Advanced Dermatology, the only dermatology clinic in the area with an ambulatory surgery center, has seen revenue growth of 500 percent since opening in 2009, and will move into a new state-of-the-art location in Fayetteville this month.

“It will be a step ahead of every other dermatologist’s office in the state,” Henry said.

Married with two girls, Henry also teaches at the Fayetteville branch of UAMS.