Top Marshallese Physician Joining UAMS Northwest Campus
by June 6, 2016 12:01 am 536 views
Only two Marshallese physicians in the world have been trained in the United States. One of the two will soon join the Northwest Arkansas regional campus of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in Fayetteville.
Dr. Sheldon Riklon is scheduled to join the staff Aug. 1 as an associate professor in the department of family and preventive medicine. Riklon will also be the first holder of the distinguished professorship for health disparities.
Riklon will oversee residents at the UAMS Family Medical Clinic in Fayetteville, and will treat patients at the UAMS North Street Clinic, a student-led free clinic on UAMS’ Northwest Arkansas campus for Marshallese patients with diabetes.
There are approximately 11,000 Marshallese in Northwest Arkansas, the largest population outside of the Marshall Islands. About 50 percent of the Marshallese in Northwest Arkansas has diabetes.
“The growing Marshallese population in northwest Arkansas has specific health needs; however, they remain chronically underserved when it comes to health care,” Peter Kohler, vice chancellor for UAMS Northwest, said in a statement. “We believe that Dr. Riklon will be able to help UAMS better care for these members of our community.”
Riklon will also treat patients at the Community Clinic in Springdale, according to a UAMS spokesman.
Riklon joins UAMS from the John A. Burns School of Medicine at the University of Hawai‘i at M?noa, where he is an assistant professor and the family medicine clerkship director.
He received both his bachelor’s degree in biology and his doctor of medicine at the University of Hawaii.