UAMS and Jefferson Regional Medical Center announced a strategic partnership on Aug. 3 after the University of Arkansas System Board of Trustees approved a membership-substitution agreement making the UA board a corporate member of Jefferson Hospital Association Inc.
Leaders say the affiliation will expand specialty clinical resources, technology and shared efficiencies across Southeast Arkansas. UAMS Chancellor C. Lowry Barnes, M.D., a Pine Bluff native, called strong local care essential to the region. Jefferson Regional President and CEO Brian Thomas said standalone hospitals nationwide are forging collaborations to serve underserved populations and strengthen campuses.
Jefferson Regional is licensed for 300 acute-care beds, employs about 1,500 staff and 140 physicians, and serves roughly 225,000 residents across 11 SEARK counties. UAMS and Jefferson Regional have shared residency training in Pine Bluff since 1972, producing more than 330 resident physicians.
