New Arkansas-side clinic to serve kidney, liver transplant patients

TEXARKANA, Ark. — A satellite clinic for University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Health’s kidney and liver transplant patients in Southwest Arkansas opened here Friday.

The kidney and liver transplant clinic will be open on the fourth Friday of each month.

“UAMS brings to our hometown the finest and most up-to-date care for patients requiring organ transplant and post-transplant care,” said Russell Mayo, M.D., director of the regional campus in Texarkana. “Before now, this care was only available to large metropolitan centers.”

Post-transplant follow-up care will be provided at the clinic, located inside the existing UAMS Family Medical Center at 3417 U of A Way.

The clinic will also provide pancreatic and cancer evaluation and care, management of disorders of the bile ducts and care for liver failure and liver dysfunction.

Earlier this month, UAMS opened a satellite clinic for transplant patients at its campus in Jonesboro. In early 2019, UAMS opened its first satellite clinic for transplant patients on its campus in Fayetteville.

“Due to the incredible work of the regional programs, we have been able to better care for patients in their home communities,” said Lyle Burdine, M.D., Ph.D., surgical director for the solid organ transplant program at UAMS.

“The Northwest Arkansas clinic has been very successful, and our patients really enjoy being cared for in their community. Patients in the Jonesboro and Texarkana areas have been wanting to be seen in their region for some time, and we are very excited to be able to help them.”

UAMS hopes to eventually offer pre-transplant care, such as testing to determine whether a patient is medically suitable for a transplant, at the satellite clinics.

UAMS is the home of the only adult liver and kidney transplant programs in the state.

Both programs received high national rankings in January from the Scientific Registry of Transplant Patients.