Housecall | Fall 2009

A QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS FOR MEDICAL SCIENCES FALL 2009

Dr. Wilson’s Years as Chancellor Draw to a Close

2 House•Call uamshealth.com

House•CallFall 2009

editorSusan Van Dusen

art directorLaurie Shell

managing editorLiz Caldwell

creative directorKeith Runkle

writersLiz CaldwellNate HinkelJon Parham

David RobinsonSusan Van Dusen

photographerJohnpaul Jones

editorial advisory boardKathy Alexander

Jerry AtchleyAnne BynumCindy PughDale Ronnel

Carla SpainhourJudy SnowdenBecky Tucker

chancellorI. Dodd Wilson, M.D.

vice chancellorof communications & marketing

Pat Torvestad

associate vice chancellor of communications & marketing

Leslie Taylor

assistant vice chancellor ofcommunications & marketing

Tim Irby

HouseCall is published quarterly by UAMS Office of Communications &

Marketing, 4301 W. Markham St. #890, Little Rock, AR 72205-7199

Phone: (501) 686-5686 Fax: (501) 686-6020

Read current and archived issues of HouseCall online at

www.UAMShealth.com/housecall I. Dodd Wilson, M.D. Chancellor, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

It is with mixed emotions that I write this, my final HouseCall column as chancellor of uaMs. The next issue will feature our university’s fourth chancellor and my successor, Dr. Dan W. Rahn. I have complete faith that Dr. Rahn has the integrity and skills to build upon uaMs’ strengths, as well as to find new ways to address the growing health care needs of our state. I hope you will join me in extending a warm welcome to Dr. Rahn and his wife, lana, when they arrive in November. My career at uaMs has been personally fulfilling, and the positions of College of Medicine dean and uaMs chancellor suited my interests and abilities. uaMs colleagues are wonderful and talented. serving the people of arkansas, first as dean and then as chancellor, has been both an honor and a privilege. With the help of each of you — colleagues, community leaders, legislators, philanthropists and volunteers — uaMs has made substantial and long-lasting marks on the health care of arkansans during my 23 years on the campus. With progress such as our northwest arkansas campus, our recent clinical and transitional science award from the National Institutes of Health, and our new state-of-the-art hospital and Psychiatric Research Institute, we are well on the way to creating a stronger uaMs and a healthier state for the next generation. I am humbled by the outpouring of emotion extended to my wife, Ginger, and me as we move on to this new phase in our lives. our thoughts will never be far from uaMs, and we will continue to watch it grow and serve arkansas for years to come.

Welcomefrom Chancellor I. Dodd Wilson

uamshealth.com House•Call 3

scholarsCollege of Public Health graduate puts her degree to work

improving Arkansas communities.

Healers A new lung cancer team takes shape.

Builders Institute on Aging announces a major gift and plans to grow.

Did You Know Newsworthy happenings at UAMS.

PartnersCaroline Stevenson became an advocate for people with

mental illness after her son’s diagnosis.

Puppy PowerA new program at UAMS has gone to the dogs — therapy

dogs, that is.

Man on a MissionUAMS witnesses the end of an era with the retirement of

Chancellor I. Dodd Wilson.

on the cover: Dr. I. Dodd Wilson has been uaMs chancellor for nine years.Cover photo: Johnpaul Jones

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understand their coverage and struggled with unpaid claims and other nagging problems. Her concern for consumers ignited a passion to become involved with the public sector and help individuals create positive social change.

Path to Public health Williams found the uaMs College of Public Health and became part of the Masters in Public Health degree’s inaugural class of 2004. she then became director of policy research and faculty training at uaMs while also becoming the first african-american to earn a Doctor of Public Health leadership, which she obtained at uaMs in December 2008. “The focus of the program was a nice fit for what Charlotte wanted to do,” said Dr. Katharine stewart, associate dean for academic affairs. “The charge is to develop

leaders who can integrate public health science into everyday practice and develop theories based on research about emerging issues.” and most importantly, the degree challenges students to demonstrate leadership while working with groups or organizations toward specific public health goals.

community Driven Williams earned the degree and ran with it. she’s credited with expanding the Center on Community Philanthropy at the Clinton school, where she became director of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation-funded program in september 2007. Williams has had her work published in prestigious national journals, including Academic Medicine and the Harvard Journal of African American Public Policy. “The Doctor of Public Health leadership degree positioned me well for this role in that there’s an understanding that

the best solutions and answers don’t come from the National Institutes of Health or organizations like that — they come from real people living in real situations,” she said. That’s part of the

Charlotte Lewellen-Williams puts her UAMS degree to work at the Clinton School of Public Service.

By Nate Hinkel

C harlotte lewellen- Williams is a strong believer that public policy has a direct effect on quality of life. and thanks to a degree program within the uaMs College of Public Health, she’s leading the way to ensure that americans in need don’t slip through the bureaucratic cracks. “some of this country’s biggest advancements are a direct result of public policy,” said Williams, an assistant professor and director of the Center on Community Philanthropy at the university of arkansas Clinton school of Public service. “Whether it’s immunizations, clean water, clean air or a number of other things, public policy helps people. It’s important we recognize those needs and work in an efficient way toward filling those gaps.” after working in Chicago in the insurance industry, the Jonesboro native saw firsthand an alarming number of people who didn’t

The Public’s EyeUAMSSCHOLARS


idea of community philanthropy, which champions the practice of sharing time and talents to improve the community. lewellen-Williams and her students are modeling community philanthropy

through group projects in low-income, Mississippi River Delta communities in arkansas’ st. Francis and Phillips Counties, working on economic development, education, poverty reduction and

youth leadership initiatives. For example, in Pine Bluff students are studying after-school care and how community partnerships could build and improve upon the structure currently provided for

A degree program at the UAMS College of Public Health set one graduate on the path to

improving communities.

Charlotte Lewellen-Williams puts her UAMS degree to work at the Clinton School of Public Service.

school-aged children. “Philanthropy allows us to test out programs before they’re ready for prime time and focus on issues that determine quality of life,” she said.


By

Sus

an V

an D

usen

Four-legged friends give UAMS patients a dose of companionship.


Standard poodle Tallulah was the first dog to participate in UAMS' new animal-assisted

activity and therapy program.


Most visitors at the uaMs hospital don’t attract much attention. They simply arrive, visit their loved one and then go on their way. Tallulah is not like most visitors. Her arrival is announced by signs in the parking deck, elevator lobbies and patient hallways. she even has a designated parking spot to ensure she can get in and out with ease. Why does this visitor deserve such special treatment? The answer is simple: she offers unconditional love, comfort and healing — and the occasional lick. Tallulah, a standard poodle, is the first pet partner in uaMs’ new animal-assisted activity and therapy program titled special Pets offering Therapy (sPoT). The program kicked off in July after about a year of planning, and Tallulah was quickly joined by fellow therapy dogs labrador retriever Moxie, Great Dane Maggie and Chihuahua Tyler. “We wanted to make sure we did everything as well as we possibly could on the front end as far as establishing policy and ensuring our patients’ safety,” said Gloria Wright, director of the Department of Volunteer services and auxiliary. “since we are a university hospital, we have a very high standard to meet.”

animal magnetism using animals in a therapeutic setting is not a new concept. Florence Nightingale wrote in her 1860 “Notes on Nursing” that “a small pet animal is often an excellent companion for the sick,” and sigmund Freud was known for using his chow, Jo-Fi, to help assess his patients’ tension levels. If the dog stayed near the patient, Freud believed him or her to be free of tension, but if the dog moved across the room, the patient’s tension was perceived to be high. While many people may associate dogs with animal-assisted therapy, other animals also are regularly used in therapeutic settings. Children and adults with developmental disabilities are known to benefit from interaction with horses, and dolphin-assisted therapy for children with autism began

in the early 1970s, just to name a few. But what is it about animals that can

help us heal from illness or injury? according to

research presented at the 2005 american Heart

association Conference, researchers at the university of

California at los angeles found several positive, quantifiable results when heart failure patients were visited by a trained therapy dog. Participants in the study were asked to answer a questionnaire about their anxiety level before and after the visits. Those who were visited by a dog had a 24 percent drop in anxiety, while those who were visited by a human had only a 10 percent drop. Heart pressure and stress hormone levels also decreased at a much higher rate for those visited by the dog.

Putting their best Paw ForwarD all dogs in the uaMs program and their human partners have received extensive training through the Delta society, which is considered the gold standard for therapy animals. The dog/human team is required to stay together at all times while at the hospital. The 12-hour Pet Partners Team Training Course ensures that the human partner is well versed in safety requirements, identifying and decreasing stress in the animal, working with special needs clients and patient confidentiality, among other issues. In addition, all dogs must pass a stringent obedience test, while their human counterparts must pass a written test. Testing is rigorous, and often teams fail or have


to test several times before becoming a registered pet partner team. “It is so strict because these dogs have to be well behaved,” said Meredith Catlett, Tallulah's ower. “You can’t bring a dog into a hospital unless you

can trust it.” still, numerous safety precautions

are in place each time a dog visits, including announcing their

arrivals with strategically located signs, keeping the dog crated until it reaches its destination, and ensuring that the dog is healthy, clean and well groomed.

‘heel’ing Power at uaMs, the dogs are used for

two distinct purposes: activity and therapy. an animal-assisted

activity is intended to improve the quality of a patient’s life, while

animal-assisted therapy is a goal-driven intervention directed by a health care professional. “Having the animal-assisted programs at uaMs gives us an additional way to reach out to our patients during

their recovery,” said Dr. Richard Nicholas, chairman of

orthopaedic surgery and a strong proponent of

the program. “The joy of interacting with specially trained dogs is something quite outside the normal hospital

experience. The interactions are often a

joy for both the patients and health care team.”

With doctor’s orders, a patient can visit with a therapy dog in one

of the hospital waiting rooms during its scheduled activity-related visit. During Tallulah’s first day on the

job, a family member immediately remarked about her loved one’s reaction to the dog. “she noted how the color in her cheeks had returned and said she hadn’t looked that good in weeks,” Wright said. Just having a chance to get their mind off their condition also is beneficial for patients. “often in a hospital setting, people define themselves by their illness. When you introduce a dog into that setting, people remember their own pets and think of better days,” Catlett said. “It takes their attention off themselves for a little while.” The therapy aspect of sPoT is just getting started, but has room to grow in a several areas, said Glenn Ballard, director of university Rehabilitation. Ballard, who was instrumental in writing theprogram’s policy, believes that the dogs will be valuable partners in helping patients with balance, gait and relearning the activities of daily living following a stroke or physical injury. “We may ask a patient to bend over and pet the dog, but we are actually working on balance and range of motion,” Ballard said. “We’re finding ways with the dogs to make physical and occupational therapy more engaging for patients.”

a real treat still in its early stages, sPoT has become an immediate hit, Wright said, adding that staff members are just as eager as patients to see and pet the dogs. she hopes to have staff members document each patient’s reaction to the animals to help determine the success of the program. “We think these dogs are a great addition to any hospital,” Catlett said. “There is just a certain part of our soul that an animal can satisfy. They fill a spot that nothing else can.”

check it out!Find out more about therapy animals at www.deltasociety.org.


less pain, quicker recovery and shorter hospital stays for patients.” There also have been advances in chemotherapy and radiation therapy for later stage cancers, making treatment more effective and with fewer side effects. In addition, having a team dedicated to lung cancer will streamline treatment and improve the entire process for patients. still, the lung cancer team faces a daunting task. an estimated 2,160 arkansans will die of lung cancer this year, according to the american Cancer society. That compares to 580 deaths from colon and rectum cancer, the next deadliest cancer, and 410 deaths from breast cancer. lung cancer grows and spreads without causing symptoms that are easily detected until it’s too late. “If lung cancer is caught early, it’s usually by happenstance,” Bartter said. For example, an X-ray for a rib injury might reveal early-stage lung cancer. only about 16 percent of lung cancer is caught early enough to be removed, and only 49 percent of those patients will be alive five years later. With that in mind, steliga foresees the uaMs lung cancer program doing more than diagnosing and treating the disease. For example, steliga said he’ll work to create a lung cancer support group and help raise awareness through the state’s Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program.

F or much of 2009, lung specialist Dr. Thaddeus Bartter was uaMs’ first and only member of its fledgling lung cancer program. That changed in august with the key addition of lung cancer surgeon Dr. Matthew steliga and two hematologists/oncologists dedicated to lung cancer patients. “This is why I came to uaMs,” said Bartter, who will lead the program just as he did a similar program at the university of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. “I’m really excited because we now have a great team that’s working together to treat a very deadly disease in arkansas.” Bartter brings a unique ability to locate and diagnose lung cancer as one of a handful of interventional pulmonologists in the country. steliga, a Milwaukee native, is a thoracic surgeon who specializes in minimally invasive surgical procedures for lung and esophageal cancer. steliga most recently was at MD anderson Cancer Center in Houston. after considering a number of job opportunities, uaMs won out. “It’s a perfect fit,” said steliga, who also noted that he and his wife, Kelly, are new parents and her family lives nearby in Memphis. every Thursday the team meets to determine the best treatment for newly diagnosed patients. Most cases are clear cut; either the patient can be treated with surgery or the cancer has spread, requiring a referral to a hematologist/oncologist and radiation oncologist. “We’ve seen some significant treatment advances recently,” steliga said. “Dr. Bartter can biopsy the lymph nodes without surgery, and we can remove cancerous lesions without open surgery, which means ch

eck

it ou

t!

The five-year survival rate for lung cancer patients (including those with late-stage cancers) is 15 percent compared to breast cancer’s 89 percent.

UAMS forms a team to take on lung cancer. By David Robinson

UAMSHEALERS


“This is why I came to

uaMs.”

Dr. Thaddeus Bartter (left) and Dr. Matthew Steliga are two members

of UAMS' new lung cancer team.


UAMSBUILDERS

Institute on Aging sets sights high following $33.4 million Reynolds Foundation gift. By David Robinson

Good to Great

Aging never looked better in arkansas. Thanks to a $33.4 million gift, the uaMs Donald W. Reynolds Institute on aging is poised to raise the bar again on behalf of the state’s elderly. The gift from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation was on top of $48.1 million the foundation has given to the Institute on aging since 1997, helping make it a national leader in age-related treatments, research and education. Gov. Mike Beebe, uaMs officials, supporters and community leaders celebrated uaMs’ second-largest gift ever when it was announced by Reynolds Foundation Chairman Fred W. smith and Foundation President steven l. anderson on June 4. “This will help our Institute on aging grow and increase our recognition throughout the world,” said Dale Ronnel, chairwoman of the Institute on aging Community advisory Board. Institute Director Dr. Jeanne Wei pledged to honor the gift by working tirelessly and in unity with the campus and community to achieve world renown for the institute, as smith challenged uaMs to do during the gift presentation. Wei noted that by the year 2020, there will be more people in the united states age 80 and older than newborns. “We must be prepared to care for them,” she said.


The remainder will support a caregiver training program conducted through the arkansas aging Initiative and its statewide network of Centers on aging. The new floors will free space for additional clinics to meet growing patient demand and for the education of medical students, residents and geriatrics fellows. The additional space also will house cutting-edge translational

research on aging, longevity and alzheimer’s disease.

“This is a most magnificent

gift,” said Wei, also chairwoman of

the Department of Geriatrics. “We will

educate generations of geriatrics health care providers and

teach families of seniors and seniors

themselves how to age well, live better and

continue to grow.”

Most of the gift — $30.4 million — will pay for construction of four additional floors on the Institute on aging and a pedestrian walkway that will connect the building to the Jackson T. stephens spine & Neurosciences Institute a block away. Wei said she

hopes for construction to begin in mid-2010.

chec

k it

out! The $33.4 million gift from

the Reynolds Foundation to the Institute on Aging was second only to a $48 million gift to establish the UAMS Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute in 2001.

a moDel For success As part of the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation’s $33.4 million gift to the UAMS Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, $3 million will go to the Arkansas Aging Initiative (AAI), which oversees eight Centers on Aging across Arkansas. The $3 million will be used to replicate the home caregiver training model that was developed at the Schmieding Senior Health Center, a Center on Aging satellite in Springdale, said Dr. Claudia J. Beverly, director of the AAI. The caregiver program will be replicated initially in four of the AAI’s Centers on Aging. “I am thrilled that the Reynolds Foundation has made such a fabulous contribution that will enable the Arkansas Aging Initiative to better prepare an in-home caregiver work force and to improve the quality of life and care of older Arkansans and their families,” Beverly said.


Dr. Wilson’s fingerprintsare on most every health policyissue toemerge in the state.”

“


D uring his nine-year tenure at the helm of uaMs, Wilson has kept his eyes focused on the university’s four missions: education, patient care, research and service. Those who worked alongside him over the years say he has managed to juggle the many demands of those missions well and he is even widely

credited for adding the fourth: a formal recognition of uaMs’ responsibility to serve the state. “Perhaps it would’ve been easy as chancellor to focus on where the money comes from — the clinical programs,” said Dr. Richard Wheeler, executive associate dean for the College of Medicine. “But Dr. Wilson has always emphasized the importance of all of the uaMs missions.” echoing that sentiment was Dr. lawrence Cornett, vice chancellor for research, who said Wilson understood the missions' often overlapping nature: “He really recognized that in order for an academic health center to have strong research programs, it also must have solid clinical programs and a strong academic backbone.” Wilson has led uaMs through

a period of growth and success unprecedented in its 130-year history. During his time as chancellor more than $460 million in construction has been completed, bolstering the main campus in little Rock as well as uaMs resources around the state. a new college, the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, was born as class sizes in all five uaMs colleges and

its graduate school grew. uaMs Medical Center and its clinics treated more patients. Research funding increased to record levels with uaMs scientists making contributions to medical care and scientific knowledge — which in 2009 was strengthened by the

largest research grant ever received by uaMs, adding nearly $20 million for translating scientific work into new medical treatments more quickly. uaMs programs stretched across the state as its area Health education Centers (aHeCs) grew in number; technology allowed distance learning and telehealth, while programs focused on the needs of older residents were opened by the uaMs arkansas aging Initiative.

substantial growth Wilson took the reins as chancellor during a time of financial hardship, with shrinking reimbursements for medical care from Medicare among other factors. Dr. Ronald Winters, dean of the uaMs College of Health Related Professions, said Wilson was »

Manon a

MissionAs Wilson's tenure as chancellor draws to a close, we look back at the indelible marks he left on UAMS. By Jon Parham

THE WILSON YEARS


“We could not have completed such a huge project,” said Richard Pierson, executive director of uaMs Medical Center, “without his understanding of the importance of the hospital.”

a growing camPus Dr. Kent Westbrook, founding director of the uaMs Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, sounded a similar refrain about a 12-floor expansion of the Cancer Institute now under construction. “Dr. Wilson went to the legislature and told them the Cancer Institute was critical to the state and was conducting research of national importance. His support was essential in getting the legislature to approve its matching funds bill for our expansion. This expansion would not have been possible without his creative thinking.” Wilson’s creativity also took hold in the development of uaMs’ Psychiatric Research Institute. a longtime dream of Dr. G. Richard smith, the institute opened in 2008 and offers inpatient psychiatric care on campus for the first time in more than 30 years. “Dr. Wilson saw the vision for the facility to improve mental health resources in arkansas and believed it was the right thing to do,” smith said. Donors played a significant role in most every uaMs expansion project. During Wilson’s tenure at uaMs, private gift support averaged $31 million annually. The institution also embarked

instrumental helping uaMs survive that downtime and prepare the campus for future growth. still, the most visible symbol of the Wilson era are the new facilities. There is the Biomedical Research Building II and College of Public Health facilities funded in part by the voter-approved plan for the state’s share of the master tobacco settlement. There also is the 12-floor stephens spine & Neurosciences Institute, which opened in 2003 thanks to a gift from philanthropist Jack stephens. By the mid 2000s, campus construction accelerated with a five-floor expansion to the Jones eye Institute, a new residence hall, the I. Dodd Wilson education Building and the Psychiatric Research Institute. a 540,000-square-foot hospital opened in 2009 to replace an outgrown and outdated 1950s hospital building.

"Because of Dr. Wilson’s vision, our students will train in state-of-the-art facilities — and uaMs is better equipped to meet arkansas’ health care needs for decades to come,” said Debra Fiser, uaMs College of Medicine dean. Wheeler called the hospital Wilson’s legacy since he was the one who lobbied campus leaders, university of arkansas trustees, uaMs supporters and anyone else who would listen about the project’s value and potential.

{FACT: THe WIlsoN YeaRs1986-2000Dean of the UAMS College of Medicine

2000-2009UAMS chancellor

{FACT: ToTal Class sIzein UAMS’ five colleges and graduate school during Wilson’s tenure

1,855 in 20002,775 in 2009/2010


during his tenure as chancellor,” Thompson said. Now uaMs is in the process of establishing a satellite campus in northwest arkansas, where the first students arrived this summer. The effort, pushed strongly by Wilson, will enable uaMs to continue increasing enrollment in its medical, nursing, pharmacy, allied health and resident physician programs — producing more health care professionals in the future for a state desperately in need of them.

Parting worDs For his part, Wilson said that becoming dean of the uaMs College of Medicine in 1986 was the perfect job for him at the time, coming from Minnesota to a state where he felt he could make a difference. Becoming chancellor, he said, was another perfect job — offering him new challenges and new opportunities — plus he didn’t have to move.

“The chancellor by nature of the position gets credit for a lot of things but the heavy lifting gets done by lots of people,” he said. “We’re doing our part to improve the health of arkansas, whether it’s through our education programs and keeping those graduates at home for their careers, through our clinical programs or through discovery by our researchers. secondarily, these efforts make a significant contribution to the state’s economy. We’re definitely going in the right direction.”

on its first-ever comprehensive campaign under his leadership, meeting the campaign’s $325 million goal 18 months early. In this area, he even leaves on a high note, with a $33.4 million gift from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation announced in June 2009 to support efforts that include a four-story expansion to the uaMs Reynolds Institute on aging.

reaching out Dr. Joe Thompson, the state’s surgeon general and director of the arkansas Center for Health Improvement (aCHI), said that despite the growth of the uaMs campus, Wilson never lost sight of the rest of the state. His support for aCHI, the College of Public Health, the network of aHeCs and the arkansas aging Initiative continued to demonstrate the statewide reach of uaMs, he said. Thompson and Dr. Jim Raczynski, dean of the College of Public Health, credited Wilson for leading the way when in 2004 he made the uaMs campus the first hospital and first higher education institution in arkansas to go smoke free. Today all hospitals and public facilities in the state are smoke free. “In some way, either through his direct effort or through his support and encouragement, Dr. Wilson’s fingerprints are on most every health policy issue to emerge in the state

{FACT: eCoNoMIC IMPaCTof UAMS during the Wilson years

Construction projects - $460 millionAnnual budget - $1.2 billion in 2009-2010Annual funded research – $83 millionEmployees – More than 10,200

FACT: CaMPus GRoWTHduring Wilson’s nine years as chancellor Almost 2 million square feet{

THE WILSON YEARS


to raise his voice once), he was absolutely fair and he was absolutely honest. You could always trust what he told you, and he always did what he said he would do. But, oddly enough, the things that make me think of him most fondly are sounds. He walked around the office a lot and had a funny way of shuffling his shoes on the carpet and rattling the keys in his pockets, so I could

always tell when it was him. His two sons are quite musical, and he would bring their pre-production CDs to my office early in the mornings and we would sit there listening to music. and then there were cats! He hates cats. I snuck into his office once and rigged his computer to make a meowing sound every time he got an e-mail. It took him a little while to figure

The Mrs. Behind the ManC hancellor I. Dodd Wilson is not the only person to whom UAMS will bid farewell this fall. His wife, Ginger, has been an important member of the UAMS family since Wilson took the position of dean of the College of Medicine 23 years ago. “Mrs. Wilson joins her husband at most all events and has been an outstanding supporter of UAMS,” said Dr. Kent Westbrook, distinguished professor

in the UAMS Department of Surgery. Gloria Wright, director of the Department of Volunteer Services and Auxiliary, said Ginger Wilson has been a “connectional person,” helping people in the community, as well as new faculty and staff members, get involved at UAMS. “She has really helped build up the hospital’s Auxiliary and has been equally supportive of the Cancer Institute’s Auxiliary,” Wright said.

out what it was. When he found out it was coming from his computer, he also somehow knew I was the one who put it on there (go figure!). He was, and is, a great boss and a great friend. He and his wife, Ginger, have been wonderful to my wife, Beth, and me, and we will always be grateful for their friendship. Dr. Richard Wheeler is executive associate dean for academic affairs in the UAMS College of Medicine.

S o

what is it really like to work with Dr. I. Dodd Wilson, our retiring chancellor?

For almost all the years he served as dean of the College of Medicine, I worked in an adjacent office. What do I remember most about him? He was absolutely even tempered (I only saw him get mad enough

The View from Next DoorA friend and and colleague shares his memories of working with Dr. Wilson. By Dr. Richard Wheeler


Wilson’s WaysQuiz yourself on some fun facts you might not have known about our longtime chancellor.

1. Which of these favorite hobbies do Dr. Wilson and his wife, Ginger, enjoy together?

A. Shopping for decorative art B. Golf C. Zumba

2. Which of these odd jobs helped Dr. Wilson through his Dartmouth College days?

A. Bartender B. Construction worker C. Disc jockey

3. Dr. Wilson’s son, Dan, is a Grammy Award-winning songwriter for what country music group’s chart-topping ode to the Bush administration?

A. The Dixie Chicks B. Brooks & Dunn C. Dick & Melissa’s Good Time

Jug Band

4. Among several others, which of these publications is delivered monthly to Dr. Wilson’s home?

A. Men’s Journal B. Rolling Stone C. Cat Fancy

5. Dr. Wilson has traveled all over the world, but he’s not a big fan of which of these vacation extravagances?

A. Ocean beaches B. Fine dining C. World’s Biggest Ball of Wax

Answers: 1. A, 2. B, 3. A, 4. B, 5.A, 6. B, 7. A, 8. A, 9. A, 10. A

6. When he was a young adult in Minnesota, Dr. Wilson helped his father build what?

A. Birdhouse B. Cabin on a lake C. Igloo

7. You’ll find Dr. Wilson checking his computer first thing every morning and throughout the day to keep a pulse on what ongoing passion?

A. Stock market B. Fantasy Football C. Facebook

8. As a young man, Dr. Wilson excelled in what “team” activity?

A. Barbershop quartet B. Lacrosse C. Water polo

9. Due to a serious weakness for sugary treats, Dr. Wilson earned what nicknameamong office colleagues?

A. Cookie Monster B. Snack Attack C. The Ice-Cream Man

10. Dr. Wilson’s mind has been known as a “steel trap” for what specific type of information?

A. Number crunching B. Show tune lyrics C. Movie quotes


Dr. Alan SuggUniversity of Arkansas System president

Governor Mike Beebe

“For 23 years, both as

chancellor and as dean of

the College of Medicine,

Dodd Wilson has been an

outstanding and tireless

leader for UAMS and the

state of Arkansas. Dodd

has taken our state’s

academic health center to

new heights. It really is an

impressive tenure.”

“As a leader, I. Dodd Wilson

has always produced

achievement without

being flashy. His calm,

steady hand has guided

UAMS through a time of

unprecedented growth while

maintaining focus on the

tenets of care and service at

the heart of this institution.”

THE WILSON YEARS


Did YouKnow?Satellite Support The UAMS satellite campus in Fayetteville recently received a boost with a $1 million grant from the Walmart Foundation. The funds from the Bentonville-based retailer will be used to renovate the first floor of the former Washington Regional Medical Center hospital building into conference space and classrooms as well as a clinical skills training center for the UAMS Colleges of Medicine and Pharmacy. Eventual enrollment at the new satellite campus is expected to be between 250-300, along with resident physicians who will serve residencies at area hospitals and clinics.

Caring for Kids The children’s inpatient unit at the

UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute

began accepting patients in June,

marking the first time in 30 years that

UAMS has provided inpatient care

to children.

The children’s inpatient unit will treat

children ages 2 to 12 and represents a

new approach to treating children with

mental illness, relying on specialists in

psychiatry, psychology,

nursing, social work

and education as

well as speech,

language and

occupational

therapy.


Team efforT Two UAMS surgeons teamed up recently to perform the first two robotic parathyroid surgeries in Arkansas, performed one week apart. After head and neck surgeon Dr. Brendan C. Stack Jr. (above right) diagnosed each patient’s condition and found the faulty parathyroid glands in each patient’s chest, heart surgeon Dr. Gareth Tobler (above left) and Stack used the da Vinci Surgical System robot to remove the glands. In these two cases, the patients’ glands had developed benign tumors that were secreting excessive hormones. Removing one parathyroid gland leaves patients with three others to regulate the amount of calcium in the blood and the bones.

Advancing Research UAMS recently received its largest ever research grant — $20 million from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) — to join an exclusive group of medical institutions nationwide. The Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) from the National Center for Research Resources of the NIH is a highly sought after grant among institutions that aim to translate basic science discoveries into speedier treatments and cures for patients. The grant will boost the UAMS Center for Clinical and Translational Research. Dr. Curtis Lowery, chairman of the UAMS Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, is the director of the center. The consortium of grantees began in 2006. In 2012, when the program is fully implemented, the consortium will link about 60 institutions to energize the discipline of clinical and translational science.

BAnk on IT A statewide cord blood banking network based at UAMS has met a matching funds goal to ensure $500,000 for the trailblazing program. The Newborn Umbilical Cord Blood Initiative successfully raised $250,000 to match $250,000 given more than a year ago by a donor who wished to remain anonymous, ensuring the necessary equipment and training to establish the cord blood banking network. Gov. Mike Beebe signed into law in 2007 a measure to allow Arkansas to begin storing and researching potentially life-saving blood cells harvested from umbilical cords following the birth of healthy children.


Beaconof HoPea

UAMS PARTNERS

C aroline Stevenson remembers being caught unawares when her eldest son began having difficulty as a senior at Catholic High School in the late 1970s. Doug became forgetful and his thought processes seemed “skewed.” Then on a spring break ski trip, her “usually sweet” teen turned difficult, contrary and argumentative. A good student until then, Doug barely made it through graduation. That summer he was hospitalized — the first of many attempts to find out what was wrong and find an effective treatment. Eventually, Doug was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder — a thought and mood disorder. Stevenson was devastated. Thirty years ago the ability to diagnose properly and to prescribe medications that were really helpful was primitive and experimental, often with drastic side effects, she said. There was little community support or residential options. “Arkansas didn’t have much to offer,” Stevenson said. Not so anymore. In December 2008, UAMS opened its Psychiatric Research Institute adjoining the new UAMS Medical Center. It combines treatment, education and research in one state-of-the-art facility. To Stevenson, it’s a beacon of hope that shines the light on the fact that mental illness is a physical illness of the brain. “It makes a statement to all of Arkansas that psychiatry, mental illness and brain research are major focuses in this day and time,” she said. After her son became ill, Stevenson, with the help of other families, began Help and Hope Inc., a local

support and advocacy group for families struggling with mental illness. It became the first state affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), and she was later elected to the national board. In 1985, she became involved with the UAMS Department of Psychiatry when then-department chairman Dr. Fred Guggenheim formed Friends of Research in Psychiatry and asked her to be volunteer coordinator. Under Dr. G. Richard Smith, Guggenheim’s successor, the group transitioned into an advisory board for the

Caroline Stevenson’s son inspired her support of the Psychiatric Research Institute.By Liz Caldwell

Caroline Stevenson has long been an advocate of mental health awareness.


“We have come a long way

in understanding the chemistry

and the function

of the brain.”

department, then it became an advisory board for the Psychiatric Research Institute. Stevenson served on the board until January and continues to support its mission. “We have come a long way in understanding the chemistry and the function of the brain,” she said. “When I see that building sitting smack dab in the middle of the UAMS campus, it makes a statement that we’re not just on the fringes and that we can talk about brain disorders and mental illness. We don’t have to be tied to the stigma that has always been a part of that.”

Today, Doug lives on his own in Minnesota. He drives and has attended college. Stevenson is proud of how he has dealt with his illness. She wishes treatment and research like that at the Psychiatric Research Institute had been available for her son. “Families are courageous, people who are dealing with it are courageous, and sometimes we just can’t do it alone.”

G etting to Know You

4301 W. Markham st. #890little Rock, aR 72205

Joe Cook Joe Cook believes that part of his job is making people happy. as administrator for the uaMs Jackson T. stephens spine & Neurosciences Institute, he accomplishes that task by juggling the Institute’s day-to-day scheduling and handling financial and personnel issues, all while keeping a smile on his face.

JoB TITle: administrator

YeaRs as a uaMs eMPloYee: 19

DePaRTMeNT: I previously worked in the College of Nursing and Department of Psychiatry. I’ve been at the spine Institute since 2002.

WHaT Was YouR JoB BeFoRe aRRIVING aT uaMs: I was in the u.s. air Force for 20 years. My last assignment was at the Pentagon as a budget analyst for the secretary of the air Force for financial management.

WHaT Is THe MosT ReWaRDING PaRT oF YouR JoB: I enjoy solving problems, resolving issues and getting involved in various groups and activities on campus.

WHeRe Is YouR FaVoRITe VaCaTIoN sPoT: anywhere on the water, but especially the beaches between Pensacola and Destin, Fla.

WHoM Do You MosT aDMIRe aND WHY: I most admire my wife, Marilyn. she did the majority of raising our four “yours, mine and ours” sons, and she cared for three family members after each was diagnosed with dementia or alzheimer’s. Plus, she’s put up with me for 34 years.

WHaT KIND oF MusIC Do You MosT eNJoY: I enjoy a wide range of music from sarah Brightman to Will smith to The Fabulous Thunderbirds.

Housecall | Fall 2009

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Transcript of Housecall | Fall 2009