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UAMS invests in the future of health care in south Arkansas

A doctor looks at a pediatric patient

As part of its ongoing efforts to boost healthcare in southern Arkansas, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) recently opened the UAMS Health Family Medical Center in El Dorado.

Located at 620 W. Grove St., the clinic is a cornerstone of medical care for El Dorado and beyond, offering a range of services designed to keep the local community healthy and thriving.

The clinic’s team of healthcare providers — Joseph DeLuca, M.D.; Martha Garrett-Shaver, M.D.; Tiffany Lucas, APRN; and Julie Wylie, APRN — offers primary care to existing and new patients alike. Additionally, Donya Watson, M.D., will offer primary care services at the Family Medical Center while continuing to see OB-GYN patients at the nearby South Arkansas Women’s Clinic.

As a comprehensive primary care facility, the UAMS Health Family Medical Center offers a wide range of services including annual checkups, vaccinations and preventive care as well as pediatric care and school and sports physicals. The clinic also provides urgent care for minor injuries and unexpected illnesses while also offering specialized care for pregnant women and new moms and babies. Additionally, the clinic is designed for the treatment of ongoing medical conditions such as diabetes, asthma and heart disease.

“The opening of the clinic has already had a positive effect on the residents of El Dorado by improving access to care for patients of all ages,” said Watson, who is also an associate professor in the UAMS Department of Family and Preventive Medicine. “The addition of UAMS Specialty clinics in Cardiology and Transplant also allow patients to receive the complex specialty care they need and deserve here at home.”

And while the new Family Medical Center is serving the present needs of the local community, UAMS also has its eyes on the future as it prepares to launch a family medicine residency program in El Dorado.

The goal of the residency program is to improve and expand access to health care in rural areas while also strengthening the physician workforce in underserved south Arkansas communities. The program will be a partnership between UAMS and South Arkansas Regional Hospital and will establish a rural track family medicine program with a focus on maternal health and obstetrics.

The program aims to enroll its first residents in the summer of 2026 and is a key part of UAMS’ strategy to address the shortage of healthcare professionals in rural Arkansas. By training family medicine residents in El Dorado, UAMS hopes to create a sustainable pipeline of physicians who are likely to stay and practice in the region.

“Bringing residents to El Dorado will provide a diverse and welcome increase in the number of physicians who are taking new patients and improve access to same-day care for existing patients,” Watson said. “That should help improve preventive care and improve patient outcomes. And having resident physicians is a large part of the succession planning of the medical community, especially in rural Arkansas where a large number of physicians are at or near retirement age.”

Watson, who will be the program director of the El Dorado residency program, has a personal connection to the new program.

“For me personally, as a graduate of the program here in 1997, I am very excited about the opportunity to help train the next generation of the health care workforce for El Dorado and south Arkansas,” Watson said.

With the Family Medical Center up and running, and the residency program on the horizon, UAMS is making a long-term investment in the health of El Dorado and southern Arkansas—benefiting the community today and for years to come.