Forty Under 40: Eric Leemis

Eric Leemis’ father, who was a healthcare consultant, introduced Leemis to the healthcare industry and helped to generate his interest in the field.

A Memphis, Tenn., native, Leemis earned a master’s degree in health administration from the University of Missouri and was one of two students who received the Thomas P. Weil Award in 2011. He was a graduate research assistant for the University of Missouri Health Care System and started his professional career there working in the surgical services department in 2011.

He was responsible for financial projects, clinical data analysis and operational reports and worked on quality improvement initiatives to increase operating room throughput. Leemis and multidisciplinary teams worked to identify the delays in operating room use and improved the time in which the room could be used again. The project led to a 20-minute decrease in operating room turnover time.

In 2013, he was promoted to manager of the surgical materials and sterile processing departments and served on the value analysis committee focused on reducing the cost of implants and supplies.

In February 2017, he joined the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Northwest Regional Campus and worked on business development, project management, contract administration and financial reporting. He was promoted to director of finance and administration in 2019 and is responsible for all fiscal operations at UAMS Northwest and oversees information technology, facilities and business operations. Three employees report to him.

“UAMS for me was just a fantastic fit,” Leemis said. It allowed him to return to Fayetteville and the University of Arkansas,  where he earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 2009. He supports St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and 7Hills Homeless Center. He’s an avid runner and a Razorback fan.