Jacobs Named UAMS Department of Pediatrics Chairman
| LITTLE ROCK – Richard F. Jacobs, M.D., has been named chairman of the Department of Pediatrics in the Jacobs, the Horace C. Cabe Professor of Pediatrics, has served as interim department chairman since Sept. 1, 2006, when then-chairwoman Debra H. Fiser, M.D., was named dean of the UAMS College of Medicine. He joined the UAMS faculty in 1982. The Department of Pediatrics is the college’s largest department with more than 195 faculty and 950 professionals, paraprofessionals and support staff. It is based at longtime UAMS clinical and teaching affiliate Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH). “Dr. Jacobs brings a wealth of experience in medical education and research that makes him a perfect fit for being department chairman,” Fiser said. “His willingness to serve as interim chairman also demonstrates the commitment he has to our students, our patients and our college.” Jacobs, a 1977 graduate of UAMS, is board certified and fellowship trained in infectious diseases. In 2004, he was named president of the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Research Institute (ACHRI). From 1989 to 2005 he served as section chief for pediatric infectious diseases. As section chief of pediatric infectious diseases at ACH, he also was responsible for medical student, resident and fellow education; research programs; and clinical training. He is a fellow in the He is the recipient of the Founder’s Award from the Southern Society for Pediatric Research for his research and work in mentoring and training medical students and pediatric residents in medical research. He received the Distinguished Service Award from the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society for his work as society president and on the Fellowship Training Grant Program. His research interests include the clinical research trials of neonatal-infant anti-viral treatment of congenital and perinatal viral infections. Since joining the UAMS faculty, Jacobs’ medical research program has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute on Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) through its Collaborative Anti-viral Study Group (CASG). It is the longest-standing collaborative clinical research program at the NIH/NIAID. Jacobs has served on the NIH Advisory Board and as chairman of three protocol-specific advisory committees for the NIH/NIAID/CASG during this 25 year association. In 1980, the UAMS Department of Pediatrics was moved to ACH where UAMS pediatricians and pediatric specialists now provide the majority of medical care. The department ranks among the top 10 pediatric departments in the country in size and programs. The pediatrics program, as part of UAMS’ primary care program, was ranked 45th among the nation’s 125 accredited medical schools in the nation this year by U.S. News & World Report in it’s list of America’s Best Graduate Schools. Its faculty includes internationally known clinicians and researchers who attract patients from around the world. UAMS is the state’s only comprehensive academic health center, with five colleges, a graduate school, a medical center, six centers of excellence and a statewide network of regional centers. UAMS has about 2,435 students and 715 medical residents. It is one of the state’s largest public employers with about 9,400 employees, including nearly 1,000 physicians who provide medical care to patients at UAMS, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the VA Medical Center and UAMS’