Dr. Larry Hartzell Invested as Benjamin and Milton Waner, MD Endowed Chair  in Pediatric Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery(Little Rock) April 25, 2019 - Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) and the University of Arkansas for Medical (UAMS) celebrated the investiture of Larry Hartzell, MD FAAP as recipient and steward of the Benjamin and Milton Waner, MD Endowed Chair in Pediatric Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery on Wednesday, April 24 on the campus of Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

“It’s an honor to recognize Dr. Larry Hartzell as the chair holder of the Benjamin and Milton Waner, MD Endowed Chair in Pediatric Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery,” said Marcy Doderer president and CEO of Arkansas Children’s. “Every day, Dr. Hartzell and the Otolaryngology team deliver our patients and their families a better today and a healthier tomorrow.”

Dr. Hartzell is an associate professor of otolaryngology in the UAMS College of Medicine who practices at Arkansas Children’s Hospital.

Establishing endowed chairs provides Arkansas Children’s and UAMS the ability to recruit top leaders in the medical field who can provide the best care for patients. An endowed chair or professorship remains one of the highest honors that the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Arkansas Children’s can bestow on its most distinguished physicians. Those named to a chair are among the most highly regarded scientists, practitioners and professors in their fields.

“UAMS proudly celebrates Dr. Hartzell for his expertise and his passion for the highest quality of medicine that changes children’s lives,” said UAMS Chancellor Cam Patterson, MD, MBA.

Dr. Larry Hartzell received his undergraduate degree in zoology with a human biology emphasis. He set aside his schooling for two years after his freshman year at BYU to serve a church mission in Barranquilla, Colombia, where he became fluent in the Spanish language. Dr. Hartzell earned his medical degree at The University of Arizona College of Medicine in 2005 and completed a residency in otolaryngology (ENT) at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. He pursued his fellowship training in pediatric otolaryngology, including an extensive focus on the comprehensive care of cleft patients at ACH.  He has been the director of the cleft lip and palate team, as well as the Velopharyngeal insufficiency clinic, at ACH since 2012.

Dr. Hartzell is board certified by the American Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, is an active participant in multiple local and national committees, and is academically active in research and education on local, national and even international levels. He is a member of numerous medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association, American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and the American Academy of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery.  His major research interests include cleft lip and palate, velopharyngeal insufficiency, hemangiomas and surgical management of hearing loss and Otologic disease.

The Benjamin and Milton Waner, MD Endowed Chair in Pediatric Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery was generously donated by an anonymous donor and established in 2001.

About Arkansas Children’s

Arkansas Children's, Inc. is the only healthcare system in the state solely dedicated to caring for Arkansas' 710,000 children, giving the organization a unique ability to shape the landscape of pediatric care in Arkansas and transform the health of children throughout the region. The private, non-profit organization includes two pediatric hospitals, a pediatric research institute and USDA nutrition center, a philanthropic foundation, a nursery alliance, statewide clinics, and many education and outreach programs.

Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) is a 336-bed, Magnet-recognized facility in Little Rock operating the state’s only Level I pediatric trauma center; the state's only burn center; the state's only Level IV neonatal intensive care unit; the state's only pediatric intensive care unit; the state’s only pediatric surgery program with Level 1 verification from the American College of Surgeons; and the state's only nationally recognized pediatric transport program. Additionally, ACH is nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report in five pediatric subspecialties (2019-2020): Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Nephrology, Neurology & Neurosurgery, Orthopedics and Pulmonology. Arkansas Children’s Northwest (ACNW), the first and only pediatric hospital in the Northwest Arkansas region, opened in Springdale in early 2018. ACNW operates a 24-bed inpatient unit; a surgical unit with five operating rooms; outpatient clinics offering over 20 subspecialties; diagnostic services; imaging capabilities; occupational therapy services; and Northwest Arkansas' only pediatric emergency department, equipped with 30 exam rooms. Generous philanthropic and volunteer engagement has sustained Arkansas Children's since it began as an orphanage in 1912, and today ensures the system can fundamentally transform the health of children in Arkansas and beyond. To learn more, visit archildrens.org.

About UAMS

UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute and Institute for Digital Health & Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise including its hospital, regional clinics and clinics it operates or staffs in cooperation with other providers. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. U.S. News & World Report named UAMS Medical Center the state’s Best Hospital; ranked its ear, nose and throat program among the top 50 nationwide; and named six areas as high performing — cancer, colon cancer surgery, heart failure, hip replacement, knee replacement and lung cancer surgery. UAMS has 2,727 students, 870 medical residents and five dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or www.uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.

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