(Springdale, Ark.) Nov. 12, 2020 – Arkansas Children’s Northwest and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Orthopedics Northwest are launching a pediatric sports medicine program expanding access to care for athletes at partnering high schools in the region.

This partnership includes clinical coverage at Arkansas Children’s Northwest by fellowship-trained UAMS sports medicine specialists, as well as sports medicine coverage on the sidelines and practices at local high schools – all drawing on the expertise of specialists already well-known to the community.

The program is another way Arkansas Children’s Northwest continues to fulfill its promise to grow with the region and develop programs that meet its unique needs.

“Caring for student athletes in our area is directly tied to our mission of championing children by making them better today and healthier tomorrow,” said Trisha Montague, Chief Administrator of Arkansas Children’s Northwest and Interim Chief Operating Officer for the Arkansas Children’s system. “Working closely with trusted local orthopedic and sports medicine providers means more kids will be able to get the care they need close to home from established physicians who have long supported athletes in Northwest Arkansas.”

Orthopedic surgeon, sports medicine specialist and Fayetteville native Wes Cox, MD, leads UAMS Orthopedics Northwest.

Other members of the group include former Arkansas Razorback team physicians Ramon Ylanan, MD, and Larry Balle, MD, both primary care physicians fellowship-trained in sports medicine. Drs. Patrick Shea Brannan, Tyler CarlLee, Navin Kilambi, and Chad Songy round out the group as orthopedic surgeons. All providers will have privileges at Arkansas Children’s Northwest. All providers in this group also hold the title of assistant professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery in the UAMS College of Medicine.

“As the sports medicine providers of choice for many student athletes in Northwest Arkansas for more than a decade, we are thrilled to partner with Arkansas Children’s Northwest to help care for more kids in our area,” Cox said. “Combining the pediatric expertise and facilities at Arkansas Children’s Northwest with our sports medicine fellowship-trained providers and community-established relationships is a huge win for student athletes in our home community.”

As part of this program launch, Arkansas Children’s Northwest also provides sports medicine coverage at Farmington and Fayetteville school districts with plans for further expansion in the near future. By employing athletic trainers and providing quick access to specialized medical care for student athletes, the commitment helps students get back in the game as quickly as safely possible.

Arkansas Children’s Northwest’s state-of-the-art facility, opened in 2018 with generous community support, offers everything a student athlete may need for injury diagnosis, treatment and recovery, including imaging (MRI, X-ray, ultrasound), clinical treatment areas, surgery and physical therapy.

This sports medicine program is just one way Arkansas Children’s and UAMS are showing their commitment to child health in our region.

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ABOUT ARKANSAS CHILDREN’S

Arkansas Children's, Inc. is the only healthcare system in the state solely dedicated to caring for Arkansas' more than 700,000 children. 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 — all focused on fulfilling a promise to define and deliver unprecedented child health. 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 (ACS); the state’s only magnetoencephalography (MEG) system for neurosurgical planning and cutting-edge research; and the state's only nationally recognized pediatric transport program. Additionally, ACH is nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report in four pediatric subspecialties (2020—2021): Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Nephrology, Pulmonology and Urology. ACH is one of only five hospitals in the nation that have achieved Magnet Status, ACS Level 1 verification and a Beacon award from the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses. 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 deliver on its promise of unprecedented child health. 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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