The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences has received accreditation for an internal medicine residency program at its Northwest Arkansas campus in Fayetteville from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.
The first eight resident physicians will arrive in July 2016 to serve their residencies at Mercy Health System Northwest Arkansas in Rogers and at the Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks in Fayetteville.
The postgraduate program will admit eight physicians annually for a three-year specialized residency where they will strengthen their skills caring for patients under supervision of experienced physician specialists.
“Establishing an internal medicine residency here was a major goal we had from the very beginning of this regional campus in 2007, and it is a credit to good work by so many — including our clinical partners at Mercy Health and the Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks — to reach this point,” said Dr. Peter O. Kohler, vice chancellor for UAMS Northwest campus.
In addition, the residents will see patients at a new UAMS Northwest campus outpatient clinic opening for the program next year.
“Internal medicine is a major primary-care need in Arkansas — especially in rapidly growing Northwest Arkansas — so this program enables us to begin addressing that need by increasing the number of internal medicine physicians starting their career there,” said Dr. Pope Moseley, UAMS College of Medicine dean.
UAMS has 30 family medicine and two psychiatry resident physicians in the region. The regional campus has 201 students in medicine, nursing, pharmacy and the allied health professions, including the first 24 students in the physical therapy program that started classes in August.
“Mercy Health System welcomes the opportunity to serve as a good training environment for UAMS resident physicians providing quality care to patients as part of our physician team,” said Dr. Steve Goss, clinic president for Mercy Northwest Arkansas, which will host five new residents annually. “We believe this is an investment in the future — building a conduit that attracts talented young physicians to our area for their residencies, hoping they stay in northwest Arkansas to continue their careers.”
The Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks will host three residents.
“The Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks is glad to serve as a clinical host for UAMS resident physicians, a partnership we believe will help the veterans we serve and those physicians serving their residencies with us,” said Dr. Mark A. Worley, interim director of Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks.
