UAMS receives $1.5 million pledge for family medicine residency program in El Dorado

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has received a $1.5 million pledge from the SHARE Foundation as a commitment to establish a UAMS family medicine residency program in El Dorado.

SHARE Foundation’s mission is to identify, develop and foster programs and services that further the health and well-being of the people of El Dorado and surrounding areas.

“This generous gift represents a significant investment in the future of health care for El Dorado and the surrounding area,” said Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, UAMS chancellor and CEO of UAMS Health. “We are extremely grateful to the SHARE Foundation for this gift, which will benefit countless patients of our future family medicine resident physicians.”

“SHARE Foundation is excited to partner with UAMS,” said Steve Cousins, chair of the foundation’s board of directors. “The investment was made to bring doctors and their families here for medical training, economically provide more jobs for our area and ultimately help produce physicians who will live and practice in El Dorado. We believe this is the first step in helping UAMS make a long-term presence in our community, so we can continue to grow medical services and programs in Union County.”

The El Dorado campus represents a joint effort by UAMS and the Medical Center of South Arkansas to increase medical access throughout south Arkansas by training primary care physicians in Union County.

The El Dorado campus will be UAMS’ ninth regional campus.

The majority of family practice physicians in rural areas of the state are trained at one of UAMS’ regional campuses. Creating a regional campus in El Dorado will provide an influx of physicians and health care professionals in Union County and south Arkansas to create a sustainable educational and training pipeline and make it easier to maintain consistent levels of care, said Richard Turnage, M.D., vice chancellor for Regional Campuses.

“We know that many physicians choose to practice where they received their residency training, which is one reason UAMS is so committed to our Regional Campuses and our rural residency programs,” said Turnage. “These programs make a real difference in improving health care access throughout the state.”

SHARE Foundation was created in 1996 as a joint venture between Medical Center of South Arkansas and what was previously Triad Hospitals, Inc. Triad was acquired by Community Health Systems in 2007. In 2009, SHARE sold its 50% interest in Medical Center of South Arkansas to Community Health Systems.

Primarily an operating foundation, SHARE Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit public charity.