$500,000 Gift to Support Creation of New Regional Campus in El Dorado

Nov 24, 2020 at 05:21 pm by admin


LITTLE ROCK/EL DORADO -- The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has received a $500,000 gift to support the creation of a new regional campus in El Dorado. The gift will have a far-reaching impact, not only for El Dorado, but for patients in South Arkansas and across the state. The donor asked to remain anonymous.

This gift establishes the Dr. David M. Yocum III El Dorado Regional Program Fund for Excellence, dedicated to building a regional campus in El Dorado.

Yocum, one of the first thoracic surgeons in Arkansas and an El Dorado native, died in 2012. He was a 1946 graduate of the UAMS College of Medicine. Yocum was an assistant clinical professor of surgery at UAMS, was on the teaching staff of what is now the UAMS South Regional Campus and served as a foundation board member for the College of Medicine. Beginning in 1951, he practiced general and thoracic surgery in El Dorado for several decades.

UAMS has committed to building its ninth regional campus in El Dorado. The majority of family practice physicians in rural areas of the state are trained at one of UAMS' eight regional campuses. Creating a regional campus will provide an influx of physicians and health care professionals to create a sustainable educational and training pipeline, and make it easier to maintain consistent levels of care.

Sections: Grand Rounds