Mindful of the national shortage of primary care physicians and the expanding health care needs in Arkansas, the Baptist Health System and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences have partnered to create the Baptist Health – University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Medical Education Program.

Baptist Health, Arkansas’ most comprehensive health care organization, has provided high-quality care rooted in Christian compassion and innovation for over a century. As the state’s largest private not-for-profit health system, Baptist Health is here For You. For Life. With more than 300 points of access, our extensive network includes 14 hospitals, over 75 primary and specialty care clinics, urgent care centers, a senior living community, and educational programs, including a college for nursing and allied health studies and a graduate residency program. Supported by approximately 12,000 employees and renowned physicians, we deliver groundbreaking treatments and impactful community outreach programs. Baptist Health is proud to be certified as a Great Place to Work and was recognized by Newsweek as one of America’s Most Admired Workplaces in 2026.

As the state’s only academic health sciences center, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) delivers cutting-edge technology and comprehensive care. UAMS facilities include a Level 1 Trauma Center, clinical lab, comprehensive Outpatient Center, and the 434-bed UAMS Medical Center—which houses 330 adult beds, 30 adult psychiatric beds, 10 pediatric psychiatric beds, and 64 bassinets. Additionally, most faculty members in the Baptist Health – UAMS Medical Education Program hold appointments at UAMS, granting residents direct access to extensive institutional resources, including a state-of-the-art simulation center.

Baptist Health Medical Center-North Little Rock (BHMC-NLR) was chosen as the primary site as it serves a community-based population in excess of 250,000 that encompasses approximately 17% over the age of 65 years. The BHMC-NLR hospital is comprised of 225 licensed beds on the campus. Which includes a newly open 22-bed Behavioral Health inpatient unit.  BHMC-NLR’s most recent awards and recognitions include receiving the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines® – Stroke Gold Plus Award, being designated as an Arkansas Stroke Ready Hospital (ArSRH) by the Arkansas Department of Health, and earning the Blue Distinction® Specialty Care designation—a national program awarded by local Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies that recognizes healthcare providers for delivering safe, effective, high-quality, and affordable specialty care. Additionally, BHMC-NLR is the first and only hospital in Arkansas to achieve the prestigious Joint Commission-accredited Hospital Sepsis Certification. This specialized Disease-Specific Care certification highlights the hospital’s dedication to early detection, rapid intervention, and highly structured treatment for sepsis.

Residents in the Baptist Health – UAMS Medical Education Program have full access to a wide variety of patients and services made available at their sites, as well as our experienced faculty members. As the state’s most comprehensive healthcare system, the Baptist Health System has profound clinical resources including a bariatric care center, wound care service, heart institute, transplant institute, women’s center, orthopedic center, a health management center, a free physician referral and health information service, a stroke program, a breast center, an eye center, sleep disorder center, an alcohol and drug abuse treatment program, a pain management program, a diabetes management program, a home infusion program, and 21 outpatient therapy centers throughout central Arkansas. In addition, the Baptist Health System has comprehensive transitional care services with an inpatient rehabilitation hospital on the BHMC-NLR campus and outpatient rehab services, medical directorship of numerous area nursing homes, an inpatient hospice unit and program, and a PACE (Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly) program.

BHMC-NLR, as the primary site for the Baptist Health – UAMS Medical Education Programs, also features continuity clinical offices and administrative and educational spaces in a brand new GME building. This facility features state of the art equipment, administrative office space, conference rooms, a resident lounge, lockers, shower facilities, an exercise room, a kitchenette, and patient care clinical areas. On-site call room facilities are provided for residents in the BHMC-NLR hospital. The residents are part of patient care teams with experienced faculty, nursing staff and ancillary providers. The program fosters a resident’s proficiency and independence in clinical practice, teaching skills, and procedural skills. The system provides appropriate supervision to support resident growth while ensuring patient care quality and safety.

The faculty at BHMC-NLR are focused on providing residents with optimal clinical and educational experiences with an eye to leadership in both the practice and dissemination of the knowledge and skills in the specialty and growth in the primary care provider community.