UAMS Giving | Institutional Advancement

The 2024 Gala for Life, the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute's signature black-tie fundraiser, raised over $1 million to benefit Arkansas' only bone marrow program. A pioneer in the treatment of blood disorders and cancers, UAMS has been home to the state's only adult bone marrow transplant center since 1994, performing 12,731 transplants for patients with lymphomas, leukemias and multiple myeloma. UAMS patient Alan Stephenson was a guest of honor at the event. Stephenson, who has been treated for multiple myeloma, shared his story in this video shown at the event: https://lnkd.in/gcEtZHve. More than $20 million has been raised for multiple myeloma research by private philanthropy. The live-saving research conducted at UAMS would not be possible without the generous philanthropic support of our donors. “We are so grateful to the generous sponsors, donors, volunteers and patrons who made this year’s event such a success,” said Michael Birrer, M.D., Ph.D., director of the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. “Your gifts will provide critical funding for our hematology and oncology clinical and research programs, which offer the only in-state transplant and cellular therapy care for Arkansans with blood cancers.” Read more here: https://lnkd.in/g_A3yi23 View photos from the event here: https://lnkd.in/gcEtZHve #philanthropymatters #wellintothefuture

The Hat Club of Little Rock is a group that the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) is fortunate to count as longtime supporters on this #ThankfulThursday. The Hat Club recently presented the UAMS Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) with a check in the amount of $40,000. In its nearly 15 years of support, the Hat Club has donated $247,945 to support the greatest needs of the NICU. “We are always humbled and truly amazed by the support received from The Hat Club of Little Rock — their ability to rally so many people around the nonprofits that they champion is impressive, and we are grateful that the UAMS NICU is included as one of their causes,” said Rebecca Sartini, DNP, RNC-NIC, assistant director of nursing for Women and Infants Health services. The Hat Club is a 501(c)3 charitable nonprofit organization that provides its members with a social outlet through “innovative fundraising events and volunteer service projects.” The Hat Club doesn’t simply raise money for a cause. No, they have gained a reputation for bringing excitement and awareness of causes through highly engaging events such as The Hat Club Classic, a charity golf tournament, Chili Fights in the Heights, a block party hosted in Little Rock’s Heights neighborhood, and the Crawfish Salute, which benefits the UAMS NICU. Read more here: https://bit.ly/406at2s #ThankfulThursday #philanthropymatters #wellintothefuture

The UAMS Historical Research Center recently announced the opening of “Making a Difference: The M. Joycelyn Elders, M.D. Collection,” a digital collection documenting the career of Joycelyn Elders, M.D The digital collection, which includes images, videos and documents, may be accessed here: https://bit.ly/4hatsiq Dr. Elders, an emeritus professor of pediatrics and distinguished professor of public health for UAMS, was appointed U.S. surgeon general by then-President Bill Clinton and served from 1993-1994. She was the first African American, the second woman and the first Arkansan appointed to the post. “This digital collection shows the impact Dr. Joycelyn Elders has had on the medical and other health sciences fields throughout her career,” said Tim Nutt, director of the UAMS Historical Research Center. “Dr. Elders has always fought for better health education and access to have a more informed population. The Historical Research Center is proud to showcase Dr. Elders’ contributions to the state and nation.” Read more here:https://bit.ly/3YbH1We #philanthropymatters #wellintothefuture

Did you know that the UAMS Historical Research Center recently announced the opening of “Making a Difference: The M. Joycelyn Elders, M.D. Collection,” a digital collection documenting the career of Joycelyn Elders, M.D.? The creation of the digital collection was supported by a philanthropic grant from the TAWANI Foundation. The digital collection, which includes images, videos and documents, may be accessed here: https://bit.ly/4hatsiq Dr. Elders, an emeritus professor of pediatrics and distinguished professor of public health for UAMS, was appointed U.S. surgeon general by then-President Bill Clinton and served from 1993-1994. She was the first African American, the second woman and the first Arkansan appointed to the post. “This digital collection shows the impact Dr. Joycelyn Elders has had on the medical and other health sciences fields throughout her career,” said Tim Nutt, director of the UAMS Historical Research Center. “Dr. Elders has always fought for better health education and access to have a more informed population. The Historical Research Center is proud to showcase Dr. Elders’ contributions to the state and nation.” Read more here:https://bit.ly/3YbH1We #philanthropymatters #wellintothefuture

When donors invest in scholarships, they are investing in the education and training of the next generation of health care professionals, as well as the health and wellness of patients they will care for well into the future. The UAMS College of Nursing hosted a Sept. 12 reception to honor and thank donors who make scholarship support available to nursing students. Patricia Cowan, Ph.D., RN, dean of the College of Nursing, said 205 nursing students are receiving scholarships in the 2024-25 school year, whether through grant funding or through donor assistance. The average scholarship amount is about $2,300. “We know that financial challenges prevent some qualified applicants from pursuing a nursing degree,” she said. “Others drop out because they need to work full time or because they lack transportation to get to clinical sites.” Dean Cowan said her goal is for every student to receive scholarship support during their time in the College of Nursing. Read more here: https://bit.ly/3A2fFtK #philanthropymatters #wellintothefuture

Brian Kirkpatrick, M.D., MSPH, professor in the UAMS Department of Psychiatry and medical director of the Odyssey Clinic, was invested in the Dr. John Emmett Peters Endowed Chair in Psychiatry earlier this year. With a gift of $1 million, an anonymous donor established the chair in Psychiatry in honor of the late John Emmett Peters, M.D., a distinguished child psychiatrist who served UAMS and the central Arkansas community for more than 30 years. “Over the course of his distinguished career, Dr. Kirkpatrick has been dedicated to improving the lives of people with psychiatric disorders as well as advancing our understanding of mental illness,” said Laura B. Dunn, M.D., chair of the Department of Psychiatry and director of the UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute. “This chair, established through a transformative gift, will empower Dr. Kirkpatrick to continue and further expand his life-changing activities in all mission areas of this academic institution. I cannot wait to see all the wonderful things that you will continue to accomplish.” “Endowed chairs help UAMS improve our programs and services for Arkansas year in and year out, which is especially important when other resources are limited,” said Steven Webber, M.D., dean of the College of Medicine and UAMS executive vice chancellor. “The cumulative and compounding impact of these gifts is enormous, because this support continues in perpetuity through the earnings on the endowment. It is truly an honor today to celebrate the generosity and philanthropic spirit that created this chair and ensured its legacy through the years.” Read more here: https://bit.ly/3Xzh5DI

When donors invest in scholarships, they make a valuable investment that benefits students now and well into the future. The UAMS College of Health Professions recently brought together and celebrated both the students who recently received scholarships and many of the donors who support them. College of Health Professions Dean Susan Long, Ed.D., said the average debt of an in-state undergraduate student is $35,000, while an in-state graduate student’s debt is more than twice that at about $75,000. Scholarships are crucial to bridging the gap between the increasing costs associated with an education and what students can pay. “Because of the generosity of our donors, we have been able to award over $100,000 in student scholarships to 57 students this year,” Long said. “However, with increasing enrollment, this equates to only 3% of our students. Obviously, there is more work to be done to help students afford a higher education.” The College is Health Professions offers degree programs in 16 allied health professions, making it the most comprehensive allied health college in Arkansas. The college’s Fall 2024 enrollment is anticipated to be almost 1,800 students, which is about a 25% increase over the same time last year. Over the last five years, overall enrollment in the college has increased by about 170%, accounting for 44% of all UAMS students. That means the need and competition for scholarships is also greater. Read more here: https://bit.ly/3ZtcfKI #thankfulthursday #wellintothefuture #philanthropy matters

Larry and Jan Alman have abundant affection and concern for the people who make up their community. These feelings are expressed not only in the conviction of their words but also through their commitment to community service and philanthropic investment for the common good. UAMS is grateful to be included in the Almans’ community. The couple, along with many of their family members, have received care at UAMS. The Almans wanted to show their appreciation especially towards the Institute on Aging, and in 2023, they designated an estate gift to create the Jan and Larry Alman Family Endowed Fund for Excellence in the UAMS Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging. “It was really easy for us to assume a philanthropic role with UAMS because we already saw boots on the ground taking UAMS into the future,” said Larry Alman. “And it’s an Arkansas institution, so of course we wanted to be involved. We want to give back to this community that has given us so much — anything we can do to make Little Rock a better place to live, we’re all in.” Read their story here: https://bit.ly/3Zo9tXk #thankfulthursday #wellintothefuture #philanthropymatters

Marjan Boerma, Ph.D., director of the UAMS College of Pharmacy Division of Radiation Health and associate director of basic science in the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, was invested in the J. Thomas May Distinguished Endowed Chair in Oncology earlier this summer. The chair was established in 2006 by a $1 million gift from the late William E. “Bill” Clark, who was chairman and CEO of CDI Contractors in Little Rock, and his wife Margaret Clark. It was elevated to a distinguished chair by a gift from Margaret Clark and her son, William E. Clark II, in 2016. The chair was named in honor of J. Thomas “Tommy” May of Pine Bluff, former CEO of Simmons First National Corp., whose extensive history of civic and community service reflects his dedication to education, health care and community development in Arkansas. Clark and May became good friends when the two served together for nine years on the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees. An endowed chair is among the highest academic honors a university can bestow on a faculty member. Endowed chairs are established with gifts of at least $1 million, which are invested, and the interest proceeds used to support the educational, research and clinical activities of the chair holder. Distinguished chairs are established with gifts of at least $1.5 million. Read more here: https://bit.ly/4gnLYUt #philanthropymatters #wellintothefuture

UAMS - University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences received $9.7 million through anonymous gifts in the 2024 fiscal year, supporting several programs throughout the university. Read more here: https://bit.ly/4gsb4RY “During the 2024 fiscal year, one of UAMS’ highest fundraising years, we received several significant anonymous gifts that support a variety of programs in many parts of the state,” said Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, UAMS chancellor and CEO of UAMS Health. “Though the contributors of these gifts would prefer to not to be publicly acknowledged, it is difficult to not highlight the impact that these funds are having on the recipient programs.” The anonymous gifts support the mission-critical work of the following programs: ? $2.5 million to the Organ Engineering and Gene Therapy Fund for Excellence supporting the work of the UAMS Research Center for Organ Engineering and Gene Therapy. ? $722,000 to support an endowed chair and operational activities at the UAMS Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute. ? $2,888,747 to support implementation and evaluation of the BehaviorHelp program, a statewide expulsion prevention support system for Arkansas early child care and education programs administered by Project PLAY (Positive Learning for Arkansas’s Youngest). ? $1.1 million to support an endowed chair in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine. ? A $2 million gift to support the activities of The Orthopaedic and Spine Hospital, the Department of Urology and the Chancellor’s Discretionary Fund. “There are a variety reasons why philanthropists, foundations and organizations wish to remain anonymous when making a contribution to UAMS,” said John Erck, vice chancellor for the Division of Institutional Advancement. “However, this does not diminish our gratitude for these philanthropists, many of whom are longtime supporters of UAMS. Thanks to them, the beneficiaries of these funds are making differences in the lives of many Arkansans.” #ThankfulThursday #PhilanthropyMatters #WellintotheFuture