Washington Regional Medical Center
The primary clinical site for this residency is Washington Regional Medical Center. Educational activities or simulation exercises may, on rare occasions, take place at the UAMS Northwest Regional Campus, about two miles from Washington Regional.
Washington Regional is a community-owned, locally governed, non-profit health care system located in Northwest Arkansas, employing over 3,400 team members and serving the region with a 425-bed medical center, over 50 clinic locations and five Centers of Excellence – the Washington Regional J.B. Hunt Transport Services Neuroscience Institute; Washington Regional Walker Heart Institute; Washington Regional Women and Infants Center; Washington Regional Total Joint Center; and Washington Regional Pat Walker Center for Seniors.
Washington Regional is the region’s only Level 2 trauma center, the only Joint Commission-designated Comprehensive Stroke Center in the state, one of only two hospitals in the state to earn Spine Surgery Certification from The Joint Commission, and the first hospital in Arkansas to be named an Antimicrobial Stewardship Center of Excellence by the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Washington Regional has once again been recognized as the #1 hospital in Arkansas by U.S. News and World Report for the 5th year in a row. A 2024 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that between 2010 and 2020, stroke deaths decreased more in Washington County, Arkansas, than anywhere else in the country, dropping by an incredible 41.2% for persons aged 35-64 and 61.3% for persons aged >65 years. This ranks first and second respectively in the US. In addition, the hospital’s ED door-to-thrombolytic time of less than 30 minutes is achieved in 85% of treated patients and a door-to-treatment times of less than 45 minutes in 96% of patients. Thirty-five percent of all stroke patients presenting to the hospital receive an acute interventional treatment. Washington Regional has consistently received the Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for comprehensive stroke care since 2019 and awards for excellence in stroke care from the American Heart/ American Stroke Association since 2015. WRMC has received the Arkansas Department of Health Diamond Award for defect-free stroke care measures since 2018. In July 2024, WRMC was recognized by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association for excellence in stroke care, receiving the Get With the Guidelines Stroke Gold Plus award for the 8th consecutive year. WRMC also received the Target: Stroke SM Honor Roll Elite Plus award and the Target: Stroke SM Honor Roll Advanced Therapy award for meeting quality measures to reduce the time from patient arrival to stroke treatment, both for the 4th consecutive year. These quality measures speak to the level of faculty and systems expertise at WRMC and demonstrate the high-quality learning environment available to Neurology residents.
Exemplary training environments at Washington Regional include the Neurology Inpatient Ward, the Stroke and Vascular Ward, and the dedicated Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit. The hospital also has a state-of-the-art Emergency Department has 40 beds, including 3 trauma bays and an urgent care area, and sees more than 54,000 patient visits per year. Washington Regional’s leadership is strongly committed to GME. In 2022, the hospital invested millions into building a 6400 square foot GME Suite on the third floor, above the ED. This space is badge access only and contains classrooms, resident lounge, team rooms, lockers, program offices, and resident-only call rooms. The GME Suite is regularly stocked with food and drinks, and hot meals are provided free of charge during noon conferences/didactic days.
Washington Regional is committed to improving the health of people in communities it serves through compassionate, high-quality care, prevention, and wellness education. Visit wregional.com for more information.
Pictures of the Washington Regional GME Space
Arkansas Children’s Northwest Hospital and Clinics
Arkansas Children’s Northwest
Arkansas Children’s Northwest (ACNW) is the only children’s hospital in Northwest Arkansas and is part of the larger Arkansas Children’s Hospital system. ACNW is a Level 4 Trauma Center that treats roughly 45,000 children annually in the emergency department. The ED has 24 private exam rooms and two trauma/resuscitation bays. In addition to ED care, ACNW has 24 inpatient beds and provides inpatient and outpatient primary and specialty pediatric care, surgery, imaging services, lab, and physical, occupational, and speech therapy services.
Our residents have three 4-week rotations at ACNW in Child Neurology, working under the supervision of board-certified Child Neurology faculty. This is primarily an outpatient rotation, in the ACNW Child Neurology clinic, but residents may be called to the ED or inpatient ward for consultation on pediatric patients. Our residents are the only residents in clinic/inpatient but may work alongside the UAMS Regional Centers Emergency Medicine residents if called for a consult in the ACNW ED.
ACNW is located six miles from Washington Regional, a drive that normally takes about 10-15 minutes. While on rotation here, residents have protected time for didactics and can attend in person or participate remotely.
Encompass Health
Encompass Health is a private rehabilitation hospital working in partnership with Washington Regional Medical Center. The hospital’s neurological rehabilitation program combines neurological medical care with speech, occupational, and physical therapy to help patients recover from illness and injury and relearn skills needed for independent living. Residents participate in a required neuro-rehabilitation rotation during PGY2, where they work on interprofessional teams and learn to treat patients as they recover from neurological conditions or injury and regain function and independence. Because Encompass Health is partnered with Washington Regional, residents may provide care for a patient in the Neuro ICU or Neuro Inpatient Wards and then follow that patient to Encompass, providing residents with greater insights into systems-based practice and a higher level of continuity of care. The Neurology Residency Associate Program Director serve as the Stroke and Parkinson’s Director at Encompass. Neurology residents may choose to return to Encompass for an elective neuro-rehabilitation rotation in PGY3 and/or PGY4.
UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute Northwest
UAMS Psychiatric Research Institute Northwest (PRI) is an outpatient psychiatric clinic treating adult patients with a range of psychiatric conditions and mental health needs. Residents participate in a longitudinal outpatient clinic at PRI NW during their third year, for the equivalent of a 4-week rotation. The clinic is located 1/2 mile from Washington Regional Medical Center.
MANA Sleep Medicine
MANA Sleep Medicine Clinic is part of the PGY4 rotation in Sleep Neurology. Residents may see patients in the sleep clinic, located within walking distance of the hospital, or they may participate in sleep studies at Washington Regional’s Sleep Center.