University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Chancellor Dr. C. Lowry Barnes (Image provided by UAMS)
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Chancellor Dr. C. Lowry Barnes is pushing to expand the institution beyond what he calls a “one-hospital system,” partnering with community hospitals to bring specialized care closer to patients across the state.
Barnes, the first UAMS chancellor to maintain an active surgical practice, said growth is essential to sustaining the institution’s three-part mission of patient care, research and education. Speaking in an interview with White River Now’s Chad Whiteaker on Arkansas 103.3 KWOZ and 1340 KBTA, he pointed to partnerships with smaller facilities — including its Family Medical Center in Batesville — as key to that effort. (Listen to their conversation below.)
With healthcare profit margins hovering around 2%, Barnes said that expanding UAMS’s footprint helps offset financial pressures affecting systems nationwide. He expressed confidence that the industry would stabilize, saying he believes “the pendulum will swing” back toward a steadier footing.
The chancellor, an orthopedic surgeon, noted that medical technology has transformed care delivery during his career. Joint replacement patients who once spent two weeks recovering in a hospital often go home the same day. Gallbladder removals, once major operations, are now routine laparoscopic procedures.
Barnes described UAMS as the backbone of Arkansas’s medical workforce, noting the institution trains healthcare professionals who serve in every county in the state.
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