UAMS breaks ground on new $85 million surgical hospital

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences broke ground Monday (April 12) in Little Rock on construction of an $85 million surgical hospital, which is expected to be complete by spring 2023.

The project is being paid for by a bond issue approved this year by the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees.

With four floors providing more than 158,000 square feet in space, the hospital will be an extension of the UAMS Medical Center. It will contain:

· 24 private patient rooms for overnight observation and inpatient stays.
· 12 examination rooms for Orthopaedic Trauma, Orthopaedic Oncology, and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.
· 12 operating rooms in its surgical center.
· Eight examination rooms and two procedure suites for use by the Pain Management team.
· Faculty and administrative offices for the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.
· Department of Orthopaedic Surgery resident educational space.

“With the beginning of this exciting new project, UAMS is growing physically to meet the expanding volume of orthopaedic surgeries at UAMS Health,” said UAMS Health CEO and UAMS Chancellor Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA. “The new hospital will help us to better serve our patients and their families. The need for this space is evidence of the success and the reputation of our orthopaedic surgeons and the overall orthopaedic team in patient care.”

The new building will complement and will not replace the off-campus orthopaedic clinics now in Little Rock.

“When the construction is complete, it will be a place of healing and innovation in keeping with the tradition of excellence at UAMS,” said C. Lowry Barnes, M.D., chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. “Our surgeons, nurses and staff demonstrate every day their great skill and compassion for our patients. We look forward to using this new space and the functionality it will provide to showcase even better that talent and caring.”

The project team consists of architects Cromwell and Davis Stokes Collaborative and general contractor Nabholz Construction.