State briefs

UAMS projecting balanced $1.57 billion budget

LITTLE ROCK — The new head of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences says it’s on pace to have a balanced budget after previously contending with projections of a $72 million budget deficit.

Dr. Cam Patterson, who became the new chancellor for UAMS on Friday, says his staff has submitted a balanced $1.57 billion budget for fiscal 2019.

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that UAMS has laid off 258 workers since January and plans to eliminate 730 jobs. The cutbacks reduced the deficit closer to an initial projection of $39 million.

The academic hospital is one of the state’s largest public employers. It employs more than 10,000 people and educates about 3,000 students a year.

Public teaching hospitals across the country are facing financial challenges amid shifting health-care policies, uncertain reimbursement rates and public funding shortfalls.

Cotton Plant native wins $1,000 on game show

LITTLE ROCK — A woman who works as an assistant to a federal appellate judge in Little Rock picked up $1,000 during an appearance on a syndicated game show that aired on television recently.

Girtrude Simmons told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that she auditioned for “Wheel of Fortune” in March. The 57-yearold Cotton Plant native said taking part was not as easy as it looks. The game is similar to

“Hangman” and involves spinning a wheel that awards cash or prizes for each correct guess.

Simmons said the wheel was “surprisingly heavy” and she landed on a “bankruptcy” space twice.

The show held auditions in Little Rock in March and taped Simmons’ episode in California in April. She said her husband had encouraged her to take part because they watch the show every night.