February 3, 2026 • 50 mins
What does it take to build a medical school that puts humanity back at the center of care? We sit down with Dr. Sharmila Makhija, founding dean and CEO of the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine, to explore how a bold vision in Bentonville is reshaping medical education and strengthening healthcare across Arkansas and the Heartland.
Dr. Makhija shares how her Southern roots and family of educators shaped a mission rooted in service, connection, and respect. She walks us through the school’s whole health approach, teaching students to see patients fully and work seamlessly with nurses, therapists, medical assistants, and behavioral health professionals. From day one, students join house-based service teams, partner with local organizations, and learn in a building designed for wellbeing, complete with natural light, public art, and community spaces that invite dialogue.
We dig into what it means to found an institution from scratch: recruiting a mission-first team, weathering unexpected setbacks, and aligning across an ecosystem that includes the Whole Health Institute, Crystal Bridges, and a growing STEM pipeline. With surging applications and a small inaugural class, the school is scaling carefully to maintain quality while building residency opportunities so graduates can stay and serve. Dr. Makhija also paints a practical path for rural impact, virtual support networks, hub-and-spoke collaboration, and an interprofessional workforce equipped to meet real needs in behavioral health, respiratory therapy, and more.
If you care about healthcare access, medical education, and the future of rural medicine, you’ll find hope and hard-won insights here. Listen, subscribe, and leave a review to help more people discover conversations that move Arkansas forward.
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Episode Transcript
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SPEAKER_00 (00:01):
This is Central to NWA, a UCA podcast.
I'm your host, Paul Gatling, andwe are bringing the University
of Central Arkansas to NorthwestArkansas.
Each episode, we will talk withleaders, alumni, and innovators
driving this region forward.
People who are shapingindustries and defining what is
next for our state.
(00:22):
Let's get started.
We are back.
Welcome into another edition ofCentral to NWA, a UCA podcast.
I'm your host, Paul Gatling.
Appreciate you tuning in withus.
And just a quick reminder beforewe get started about what this
podcast is about.
It's about leadership, it'sabout community, and it's about
the people who are shapingNorthwest Arkansas.
So, with that in mind, whilethis is a UCA branded podcast,
(00:45):
we do have alums, but we alsohave people who are not graduate
of the University of CentralArkansas.
So, from that perspective, I'mso happy to welcome my guest
today, Dr.
Sharmilla Makija.
She is the chief executiveofficer and the founding dean of
the brand spanking new,aesthetically beautiful Alice L.
Walton School of Medicine inBentonville.
(01:06):
That acronym says it all, right?
It's awesome.
Awesome.
SPEAKER_02 (01:09):
It's awesome.
Yes, yes.
Well, thank you.
It's such a pleasure to be herewith you today.
You know, I was sharing with youearlier that uh I've told my
team whenever Paul calls, weanswer right away because you
were the first person tointerview me.
That's right.
Uh, before I even moved downhere, and I still remember that
conversation.
It it made me feel welcome andat home.
So thank you for inviting metoday.
SPEAKER_00 (01:30):
Well, I I share the same sentiments.
And like you said, we've knowneach other uh since you arrived
in Northwest Arkansas, what,three years ago?
SPEAKER_02 (01:36):
Three years ago.
Yeah, right.
SPEAKER_00 (01:37):
You'd just been announced as the founding dean
of the medical school, and I'veenjoyed getting to know you and
same here.
Watching you and your team buildtruly something special.
So, yeah, thanks for sittingdown with me today.
So uh, as you said, awesome isbuilding something special here
in Northwest Arkansas that um isgoing to have long-term impact.
I mean, not just in Arkansas,but beyond our borders.
(02:00):
So when you hear that, when youhear that perspective, what kind
of emotions does that bring?
SPEAKER_02 (02:05):
Oh, yes.
And you and you were at ourgrand opening in October, and we
opened in July, but we had thiscelebration in October, and you
saw that we were all, I think,all just taken aback and
overwhelmed when we saweverybody there to support us
with our faculty and studentsthere, that it actually
happened.
And then the impact that'sbeyond our doors right here in
(02:25):
Arkansas because the commitmentwas very clear from Alice and
her vision to help the people ofArkansas, so Northwest Arkansas,
but the state of Arkansas andbeyond.
So we look at rural areasthroughout the heartland as
being our focus.
And I think that in this day andage, when a lot of the attention
is on the coastlines, where alot of the funding goes to, you
(02:48):
look at the problems in theheartland, the health care is
some of the lowest in thecountry as far as the ratings
are concerned.
And so our commitment was toproduce and train these types of
students that understand wholeperson care.
Yeah.
So it's really an amazingopportunity.
And to see the impact alreadythat these students are having
(03:10):
on the community is reallyheartwarming.
It's really overwhelming attimes.
SPEAKER_00 (03:14):
Yeah, I'm sure you've got a lot of great
success stories and fun storiesfrom the first semester now into
the second semester of theschool.
Yeah, you the ground, the thegrand opening day in October,
you mentioned it really was uh Iremember it was cold.
SPEAKER_02 (03:26):
So very cold and rainy, but it made everybody
stay inside, right?
SPEAKER_00 (03:29):
We all got to, and to me, that was like that made
it more of a shared experience.
Yes because we were in a muchcloser confine than everybody in
you.
SPEAKER_03 (03:37):
Yes.
SPEAKER_00 (03:38):
You you said the word, it was really
awe-inspiring.
And I've used that wordaesthetically awesome and
beautiful.
Yes.
And we'll get into the the thecurriculum, yes, of course, but
just the the beauty of thatplace.
Yes.
And if you haven't been, I mean,there's a please come visit.
Yeah, there's a public-facingelement.
There's green space, there's acoffee shop, there's the of
course the green roof thateverybody has been talking about
(03:59):
for years, and we've beenreporting about at the Business
Journal for years.
So that's right.
Um, yeah, it's very exciting.
And congratulations to you andeveryone.
To the team, yeah.
Yeah, to the team to get thisfar.
So all right.
Well, I want to start with justuh a very brief part of uh your
overall bio of your career.
And if you're listening orwatching today, you could find
all of this uh in much greaterdetail online at the medical
(04:21):
school uh uh website.
So Sharmila is an oncologist bytraining and is considered an
international expert ingynecologic cancer.
Before becoming here, beforecoming here, she was the
department chair of obstetricsand gynecology at the women's uh
of women's health at AlbertEinstein College of Medicine,
which is part of one of NewYork's uh premier uh academic
(04:43):
health systems, Montefiorehealth system.
Uh also held faculty positionsat the University of Pittsburgh,
University of Alabama atBirmingham, Emory University,
and the University ofLouisville.
So your career has taken you allover the country.
Right.
Right.
But um back in our initialinterview, which again when I
was working at the NorthwestArkansas Business Journal, um
(05:05):
picked up the phone and calledher when you were uh uh first
announced, and we had a greatconversation.
And I always remembered youdescribed yourself as a true
southerner.
SPEAKER_02 (05:13):
Yes.
SPEAKER_00 (05:14):
Right?
Why is that?
Why are you a true southerner?
SPEAKER_02 (05:16):
Well, you know, I was born and raised in
Montgomery, Alabama.
My mom still lives there, andum, that's always been my core.
So wherever I go to travel, Ikeep those core values.
And I think it really stems fromgrowing up in that area, how our
families really just worked inthe community.
Um, you know, I come from afamily of educators, but the
southern way of talking topeople, being with people, being
(05:40):
connected, it's always stay withme.
It doesn't matter if I'm inManhattan or Atlanta or
Bettonville.
That's still, that connectionstill is pretty strong.
And I think I shared with youwhen I came to to interview
here, um, I immediately feltthat same feeling as growing up
in Montgomery.
And I thought, okay, this isthis is almost like coming back
(06:04):
home, even though it's notAlabama.
It it felt I felt that sameconnection.
So yeah, it's it's in your it'sin your system.
No matter where you go live,it's always in your system.
SPEAKER_00 (06:14):
So you growing up in Alabama, you mentioned a family
of educators a bit more aboutyour mom and your dad.
What did they do?
Did they have any impact on youroh, fully.
SPEAKER_02 (06:23):
I think they're they are the reason that I'm here.
Um, you know, my dad was acollege chemistry professor, my
mom was is a retired high schoolbiology teacher.
Um, so we education was alwaysin our blood.
And I think that because of thatvalue on education, I've always
gravitated towards working in anacademic center that values
(06:46):
education, but also how do youwork in the community?
So it was always very importantto my parents that we understand
where we're living, how do weingrain ourselves with the
community, but how do we giveback?
So I think I shared with you atthe dinner table, we would, you
know, I'm uh the eldest of threekids.
Um, and they would charge us atthe table with, what did not
(07:08):
only what did you learn today,but how did you make someone
else's day better?
And so we would scramble saying,Oh my God, what are you gonna
say?
Like, what do we have to say?
But then it became like, oh no,we we actually have to do this.
SPEAKER_03 (07:19):
Yep.
SPEAKER_02 (07:20):
So, you know, I have to admit, like, we didn't know
what that meant, but we wouldliterally just say to someone,
well, how can I make your daybetter?
But just even by asking that,change the dynamic of how you
connect to somebody.
So it's it's always stayed withme.
And anytime we're in ourleadership meetings or team
meetings, that that's part ofthe theme too, of how do we do
(07:40):
this better?
How do we make this better forthe community?
Um, it can't be always aboutwhat's just good for us at that
moment.
So I think their values werevery, you know, I was very lucky
to have parents that just talkedabout that, that day and age.
SPEAKER_00 (07:56):
So yeah, you probably went from, you know,
forcing yourself, what are wegoing to talk about tonight?
to you're probably having tochoose from things.
That's right.
It was just became a part ofyour part of your life.
So that's right.
Um what made you decide, youknow, your your father, your
father and mother were educatorsand uh in the science part, but
what made you decide, physician,you know, the medical field?
(08:16):
What what made you decide thisis this is the path I want to go
to, and this is the path I wantto excel in.
SPEAKER_02 (08:21):
Yes.
So a lot of our family friends,they were doctors.
So I would either go and, youknow, go into their offices, see
what they did.
I was a hospital volunteer, butprobably the greatest influence
was my grandfather, was adoctor.
And then he was in India, and hewas a he he was, you know, we
would say family doctor, but hewas a surgeon.
(08:42):
He did primary care.
If you had to define it intoday's standards, he did
everything.
SPEAKER_00 (08:47):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (08:47):
And um, and I thought, let me go see you got
to see that.
I did.
I went at the age of nine.
I I asked my parents to send meto India to spend the summer in
India.
And, you know, what what how doyou respond to a nine-year-old?
And I said, I can go on my own.
And um, back then it was Pan Am,and you had a flight attendant
that escorted you.
(09:08):
And um, I spent the summer withhim and I carried his little
doctor's bag, and there would bea row of patients waiting to be
seen.
Their grandkids usually were theones who could speak English.
So I would take take do they dothe intake to see how, like
what's going on, tell me what'shappening.
(09:28):
And then I'd go into the intothe room.
SPEAKER_03 (09:30):
Yep.
SPEAKER_02 (09:31):
And I learned that art of how do you communicate?
How do you really understandwhat's happening with that
family, but long term.
And um I think I also share withyou at one point was a funny
story because they would be sograteful that they'd say, What
can we do for you?
And I was like, Well, I'mmissing apple pie.
So one day, I don't know howmany people came by with apple
(09:54):
pies to the front door.
And my grandmother's like, Whatis happening?
And I'm like, Well, I just Itold them I like apple pie, but
they don't quite know how tomake it.
My grandmother said, Why wouldyou ask them to do that?
I'm like, but they asked me.
So I also learned you don'treally have you shouldn't really
ask for all of those.
SPEAKER_00 (10:10):
Think about that for the next thing.
SPEAKER_02 (10:11):
That's right.
That's exactly right.
But it was such a greatexperience that I said, I'm
going to do this.
I want to be like mygrandfather.
I want to, it connects with thevalues that the family our
family is saying internally.
And I think it's so gratifyingto see how you can impact
immediately.
And then you're seeing thatpatient over and over, that's
(10:33):
the long-term benefit.
Um, and that and it brings thecommunity together.
If they know they've been takencare of well, they're gonna stay
there and they're gonna beconnected.
And I think full circle here,here we are with Alice's belief
that connects very deeply on mysame values.
And I think that's why we'vebeen able to amplify our visions
together.
SPEAKER_00 (10:52):
So, how long did you stay over there in India the
first time you went as a?
SPEAKER_02 (10:55):
It was it was like three months or so, yes.
And you know, we I did go and dopainting and ballet and dance
and all that, but I was like,this is great, but I really
don't want to do this every day.
I can do that home.
I want to go out and see what'shappening.
So three months.
SPEAKER_00 (11:10):
Yeah, experience, yeah.
You mentioned Alice, um, andwe're gonna get into some uh
some more discussion about herassert, of course.
But when you first came toNorthwest Arkansas in 2023, what
do you recall that stood out toyou?
I don't know if you'd ever hadany experience of of visiting or
spending any time in Arkansas,but just what stood out to you
um, not just professionally, butculturally here.
(11:32):
I mean, you've deal you saidyou've lived in a lot of places
and you grew up in Alabama,India, and Manhattan and
Pittsburgh.
And just what do you recallabout your initial impressions
of this area?
SPEAKER_02 (11:42):
I mean, I think literally landing here, right,
from the airport, and I had torent a car, right?
So I had to figure out how toget around.
And I'm coming out of Manhattan,and I know how to drive, but you
know, you have to explore you'reused to getting into a taxi or
an Uber.
And so I had to really look atthe map, go back to the old
school way, really looking atwhere I was headed.
(12:04):
And it was immediately justconnecting, like it was calm.
Um, the people were incrediblyopen and inviting and nice.
And I thought that's that's alittle bit different from any
place I've ever moved toimmediately.
And they didn't know why I wasin town interviewing for.
I was just walking around thesquare and everybody's just
(12:26):
friendly.
And I thought, this is, youknow, this is like a Hallmark
movie, you know, like this isreal.
This is a real place.
And um, I remember telling mymom and you know, about that.
And when she came to to visitduring the grand opening, she's
like, I see it now.
I see what you see and I feel itthe same way.
So immediately inviting.
And I thought, okay, if we'regonna do a big thing like this
(12:49):
of opening a brand new school,you need to be in a community
that's that open and inviting.
Otherwise, it's already hardenough as it is.
And if you're fighting offnaysayers, which it's not a bad
thing to have people that tellyou what can't work, because it
keeps it in the back of yourmind.
But you don't want to befighting that battle.
(13:09):
It's already harder to do that.
So if we can collaborate andconnect and amplify, it's just
gonna be a better situation.
And so I immediately fell inlove with the with the city and
the because of the people.
SPEAKER_00 (13:23):
You could see yourself living and working
here.
SPEAKER_02 (13:25):
Yes.
SPEAKER_00 (13:26):
And I'm sure Kaylee Griffith and the tourism folks
at the Hallmark moviedescription that you just laid
out there.
SPEAKER_03 (13:32):
So yes, yes.
SPEAKER_00 (13:34):
So at what point did you realize um that this role
was about more than just umlaunching a school, that it
could help shape the future ofhealthcare, like we said, not
only in Arkansas but beyond ourborders.
SPEAKER_02 (13:47):
Yes.
You know, the beautiful thingabout working with Alice is she
she sees things as a wholepicture, right?
And many of us work in placesthat you look at what is the
problem that you're faced withfixing.
Um but in my world as adepartment chair, I saw a lot of
the issues that a medicalstudent may not have been
(14:09):
trained on X, and now they'recoming to do residency with us,
or a resident that was coming into work with us, and there were
gaps.
And then you fast forward thatto the delivery of health care.
So as a department chair, I wasconstantly looking at the big
picture of how do we look at thedelivery all across from
education to the actual deliveryof care.
(14:31):
And we worked on how we developpeople in a different way.
And so talking to Aliceimmediately, she saw it the same
way, like very similar, maybedifferent, coming from a
different angle, right?
Because she's not in thehealthcare world.
But she also saw that this isnot just about educating medical
students and producing doctors.
(14:53):
We have to look at the biggerpicture and we have to look at
what even happens before theyeven get to the point of
applying for med school to howdo we actually get the care here
in the community, but on adifferent level.
And so what I saw was that thiswas going to be a part of a big
picture.
And when you have that mindset,you can actually be more
(15:15):
creative in looking at solutionsbecause you have to look at it
broadly and you have to be veryinviting and collaborative,
right?
Because it's not just about youcan't possibly be the only
person doing this.
You have to get everybodyinvolved.
So that connected with me.
I've always worked inunderserved populations and
areas, and that's that's been mything.
So for me, this is a rural issuethat we have to address, but on
(15:40):
a global scale.
And can we create a model thatcan be replicated?
Because again, it might justwork here, but we need it to
work throughout the state ofArkansas and beyond, right?
Into the heartland states andwhere the rural areas are.
So that's when I saw, okay, thisis this is one piece, and I'm
happy to be a part of thispiece, but anything I can help
(16:02):
with shaping from experience andbringing in, that that just
makes me even happier to seewe're really trying to address
this on a global scale.
SPEAKER_00 (16:11):
So that is a big um responsibility, Ryan, when
you're trying to do somethingthat is uh different in such an
institutional way.
Yes.
Um, did that responsibility hityou all at once, or was it very
subtle like what I'm about to dohere?
SPEAKER_02 (16:27):
Yeah, I don't think it hit me fully at once because
I also saw that I'm part of ateam, right?
So when I talk about this, I'mnot the one doing all of it,
right?
We have teams at Heartland,Whole Health Institute.
We have those on what we callthe ecosystem of Crystal Bridges
campus, right?
Our museum partners are vital tothis.
Um, because again, we want toapproach it in a different way.
(16:50):
But it's as we started talkingthrough, I think it became very
clear to all of us.
And that's how I recruit, too,that the this is the job that
you're applying for, but this isa career and this is a um, you
know, a truly a privilege to beable to contribute to a bigger
picture, right?
(17:10):
So I think it and it depends onyour mindset, depends on if
you're it's not an easy task,right?
So you have to be really clearon what we're working on, the
fact that there is a little bitof flexibility involved and
adapting and changing course.
And, you know, you have to knowthat you have the right mindset
or you want to learn that to beable to do that.
SPEAKER_00 (17:32):
So excuse me.
Uh you mentioned that uh Aliceis not from the healthcare
field, uh, but she is from theum, I think the force of nature
field.
Yes, absolutely.
Um that's one of the things I'veyou can describe her with.
SPEAKER_03 (17:46):
Yes.
SPEAKER_00 (17:46):
Go back to your initial meeting with her.
First time you met her, firstconversations you've had to you,
what do you recall about that?
SPEAKER_02 (17:53):
Uh her warmth.
That, you know, because you youhave this picture in your mind,
right?
You can't help it.
You have you come to a pictureof what what is this going to be
like?
Yep.
Is it gonna be veryintimidating?
Is it um her warmth?
I mean, we she literally made mea cup of tea, right?
SPEAKER_03 (18:11):
Right.
SPEAKER_02 (18:12):
And we southern hospitality.
Southern hospitality, and wejust sat and talked.
SPEAKER_03 (18:16):
Yep.
SPEAKER_02 (18:16):
Because one of the things is we had to know that we
would be able to talk to eachother, right?
I mean, forget aboutqualification.
At some point, everybody isqualified once you get through
the search.
SPEAKER_00 (18:29):
But can we work together?
Can we work together?
SPEAKER_02 (18:31):
Can we disagree and get to a better place?
Because it's not about us, it'sabout what is good for the
community and for healthcare ingeneral.
And that was pretty immediatefrom me.
And I also remember telling her,it has to work both ways.
Like you have to like me, I haveto like too.
Like, because it if we're bothnot in sync, somebody's not
(18:55):
gonna be happy, right?
And and relationships don't workwell.
I mean, it can be transient ifit's, you know, you're not
getting along, but you're gonnaknow that you have to really be
able to work out yourdifferences.
I can't say we have differences.
We, you know, some are embeddedthings that happen in healthcare
that you can't necessarilychange unless you really revamp
(19:19):
everything.
So we just talk it out loud thatit's it's not so easy to to fix
health care.
And that's a big task that she'sundertaking.
But she's okay with that.
Yeah, right.
Because she she's committed toit.
And for me, that's a differencebecause I have worked in places
(19:39):
where rightfully so, the CEO ismandated by the board to do
something, or you you've got alot of other, they've got a lot
of other pressures, includingtheir own job.
Um she doesn't have that, right?
And for me, I'm also at thestage in my life where I've done
everything in The academic worldthat I thought I would want to
(20:02):
do.
So I'm also willing to take arisk of okay, maybe it won't
work, but we're gonna, it'sgonna be a better place by just
trying to do it differently.
SPEAKER_00 (20:12):
Right.
So that's a good point you made.
You've you've uh achieved somuch in your academic career.
Uh you mentioned at some pointeverybody is qualified.
You know, a lot of people arequalified to do it.
Yes.
The appeal of working uh withAlice Walton is one thing.
How appealing was it to be umthe founding dean of a medical
school?
That doesn't happen very often.
(20:33):
How much would that a part ofyour decision making?
SPEAKER_02 (20:36):
You know, that if you overthink it, would be it's
a little scary, right?
Because who prepares you forthat?
And you know, I can go into adepartment and restructure it,
um, but you have a foundationthat's already there, and you
can try to fix that foundationas much as you can.
To start it off, it it was theclose to being an entrepreneur,
(20:57):
I think, that I'll ever bewithout being an entrepreneur,
right?
Because it's it's probably thesafest entrepreneurial, you
know, job to get into becauseyou know you've got the support
to be able to build it.
Um, but it's to start andbuilding that team.
Um that that was a littledaunting.
SPEAKER_00 (21:17):
Yeah, you know, I think what's the first thing
that you do?
What was the first task?
SPEAKER_02 (21:21):
Well, and I learned from, you know, my, yeah, you go
to business school, but younever know, like this is not
what they teach you.
But it's, you know, and I thinkI shared too with you that when
I went to business school, it Ithought it was to learn finance
and accounting because we werenot taught that in med school.
But I quickly learned it wasmore important about
organizational behavior.
(21:42):
That is what's going to make youor break you.
Um, and we don't talk about thattoo often, but it makes sense.
It's about the people.
And so, you know, you have to bewilling to say the things that
people don't want to hear, uh,but you have to do it
respectfully.
And they still may go aroundsaying it's not done well.
But I had to be able to say outloud, okay, guys, we've got to
(22:05):
be able to, this is where weneed to go.
We're gonna have to fix some ofthe things that have already
been worked on, frankly.
Um, some like it, some don't,right?
But being able to work togetherand fixing that.
And some people stay and somepeople don't.
And so that's never fun.
I mean, I don't think anybodywill say they enjoy having
(22:26):
people leave.
Um, but I always think that ifit's right for them, it'll be
right for us, and as long asit's done respectfully.
So I think that was probably themost daunting is to start
building that foundation.
Um, because there had been ateam that was working on, and
they worked very hard and theydid a great job.
But even you have to keep goingin phases.
You have to keep restructuringand building as you grow.
(22:49):
And I think that's hard inacademics because sometimes it's
just set, and that's the comfortpiece.
Um, and that's why when we'rerecruiting, we have to talk
about like this is a littledifferent.
You're gonna have to be able tostomach, maybe we got to change
course, and you gotta be able tobe nimble and and and and move.
So I think that probably was thehardest part is just building
(23:13):
the team and keeping that lineof communication going and and
being able to say, hey, maybethis is not the right direction.
We've got to regroup.
Um, because also things changein the world too, that we have
to flex to.
Um, some things have to bestandard of the values and the
principles, but you have to havethat mindset of continuing to
(23:36):
evolve and grow.
SPEAKER_00 (23:37):
So on the flip side of that, um, what has gone uh
better than you expected?
What has been smoother than youexpected in terms of, you know,
building the physical building,recruiting the the staff,
recruiting the teachers,recruiting the students?
What has been smoother aspect ofthat?
SPEAKER_02 (23:51):
You know what the same part that's hard has been
the most rewarding.
So that team, um, because youknow, you can't do it on your
own.
It has to be about the team.
And I will say the team thatwe've built are just incredible,
incredibly dedicated,mission-focused, recruiting
others that think like that.
But also they're recruitingpeople from other places that
(24:14):
you wouldn't necessarily thinkabout from undergraduate to
teach in the medical school,right?
Because we're always so focusedon medical schools.
I think that the people that wehave on the team is the secret
sauce.
And I think our faculty, ourstaff I'm just amazed that they
want to come and do this withus.
(24:35):
You know, they're just greathuman beings and they are our
ambassadors.
And so I think that's thegreatest satisfaction that I've
seen that once we got the rightlike-minded, you know,
mission-focused people, it'sjust it's just amplified since
then.
Um I don't know anything's beeneasy, but it's been uh, as you
(24:56):
know, um, you know, what'samazing to me, I have worked,
and this is probably anon-academic thing to say, but
I've worked at many places whereyou've had to restructure
physical plants, and you know,you just kind of take it for
granted, it just gets done andthey don't talk to you about it.
This team, this constructionteam and the facilities team
(25:17):
that Alice has had working.
I have to do a shout out toScott Eccleson.
I mean I mean, unbelievable thatthey hear us and they work with
us and they produce this thingthat we we we have this vision
and we we joke around that avision without execution is just
a hallucination.
(25:38):
They help us execute on creatingthat building that would be this
environment for a beautifulenvironment for our students,
our faculty and staff to workand thrive in.
You know, because wellness isvery important to us.
Are we the best at it?
No, we have a lot of work to do,but at least the surroundings
are in a different environment.
(25:58):
But that that team has beenreally incredible.
And um, even my core leadershipteam of, you know, our our
general counsel, Sharon Bridges,that who would think a lawyer is
so violent.
She is probably more engagedwith our teams than anyone else.
She was a former LD nurse thatbecame put herself through law
(26:20):
school, right?
Um, Amy Winger, who's our VP offinance administration that you
know well, that was at UAMS.
Unbelievable as an administratorand finance person because she
listens and she helps the teamtry to get what they're trying
to do, their vision, and gettingit executed.
So I think it's been reallyincredibly fun to see that.
(26:43):
And look, we I can't say that weget commended because we're
we're always trying to dobetter.
We don't do a great, you know,perfect job at it, but we try.
I think the mindset is there.
SPEAKER_00 (26:54):
When I say Memorial Day 2024, that wasn't very much
fun, was it?
SPEAKER_02 (26:58):
It was not.
It was not.
SPEAKER_00 (27:00):
That was the curveball that you weren't
anticipating.
SPEAKER_02 (27:02):
Not anticipating.
And we were having to turn in alot of the paperwork for the
prelim, you know, before thesite visit.
That was we were under duress.
We were uh some of us were holedup at you know the hotels
because we needed electricityand um to get paperwork in, but
it was um but that brought uscloser together.
SPEAKER_00 (27:20):
Yeah, I mean, because at the end of the day,
you've still got that dateAugust 2025 that's that's
hanging there in the air thatthis is when we are starting.
SPEAKER_02 (27:28):
Yes.
And then we moved it up to July.
Yeah, right.
I mean, so we even decided wedidn't want to um disrupt what
UAMS was doing, so we moved upthe start day, which was and and
you know, as you know, weliterally moved into the
building a week before westarted.
SPEAKER_00 (27:45):
So well, one thing that um you know, let's talk a
little bit about whole health,and one thing that kind of
resonates with me is you know,that that physical, mental,
community uh well-being.
And so at UCA, our College ofHealth and Behavioral Sciences,
yeah, you know, that's uh, youknow, we educate nurses and
physical therapists andoccupational therapists and and
behavioral health and all thatstuff.
(28:05):
You know, the people who umtouch patients before um uh and
long after a physician's visit,right?
So just give me your perspectiveon how important that is.
SPEAKER_02 (28:16):
Oh, it's vitally important.
And I think most med schools arestarting to have to address
this, um, but we call itinterprofessional education.
Um, and we have a team thatreally looks at how do we expose
our students to learning how towork on a team.
You know, we talk aboutteamwork, but we train them in
med school to be independentthinkers.
(28:37):
And then we say, now you gottawork on a team.
Again, it goes to thatorganizational behavior and
showing that it's you don't haveto know all the answers.
You have a team of folks thatare very good in their area and
working together collaborativelyjust makes everything go to
another level.
(28:57):
And frankly, that's a signal tothe patients that you're willing
to work with them on this.
So it's very important to us.
And as you know, we're buildingout.
Um, I'm saying we, but Alice andher family are building out, you
know, the Ignite High School,right?
To amplify the work they'redoing to expose high school kids
on not only being a doctor,right?
(29:19):
All the healthcare areas fromEMT to medical assistance to
phlebotomy, and they getcertifications on that, and
they're out in the world doingthis work.
I think exposing them to thisjust gives them a broader sense
of what you could do inhealthcare.
It's not about all about being adoctor or a nurse, right?
(29:39):
That you got to have the wholeteam.
You saw in the pandemic that therate limiting um area was the
respiratory therapist, right?
And so hospitals could not runwithout them.
They were in demand and theywere overworked.
Um, that signaled to everyone,look, it takes everyone um to be
able to deliver health care.
(30:00):
Um, and that's how the, and wecan talk about that at some
point, about the healthcarecampus of we're looking at that
whole picture as well oftraining all of the teams that
will need to be trained todeliver healthcare.
SPEAKER_00 (30:14):
Yeah, well, that's one thing that I've learned in
this role uh in Arkansas is thestate works better when
institutions work better andcollaborate.
You mentioned the Igniteprofessional studies uh at
Bentonville High School, andthat kind of leads us into the
something you mentioned earlier,the the gaps in education and
the gaps in healthcareworkforce.
(30:34):
So where do universities like umthe University of Central
Arkansas, where do they play thebiggest role in filling those?
You know, what what skills dotoday's healthcare students need
that maybe were not emphasized10 years ago, 20 years ago?
SPEAKER_02 (30:48):
You know, I think bringing it to light that here
are all the opportunities towork in a healthcare system and
exposing them to that andstarting to train from
phlebotomists to therapists tobehavioral health therapists.
I mean, that that's a big demandacross the country with mental
health being a very importantaspect of care that we have so
(31:11):
often not addressed.
You know, that's what we'reteaching in the school is this
whole health principles.
And if you fast forward thoseprinciples, that is what
value-based care is based offof, looking at the whole person.
But we're calling it out andteaching it in the med school of
not only the physicalwell-being, um, even social
(31:31):
well-being that we've sort ofaddressed, not great, but we're
calling out mental, spiritual,all of those pieces that we
haven't actually trained peopleto learn how to recognize when
there's an issue and then how doyou address it?
I think all of those pieces,because it doesn't have to be,
again, the doctor that calls itout, the receptionist that's
(31:53):
taking in a patient and noticessomething to the medical
assistant.
Um, everybody is a part of theteam.
And training everybody torecognize and support that
builds a community.
So I think it's not justUniversity of Central Arkansas
that hasn't been doing it, noone's been doing it.
And I think that's another partof why the STEM University is
(32:16):
also being thought about andbuilt out here.
Um, and those students will workon our healthcare campus.
Again, they'll be building outall of those pieces to help
support the delivery of thecare.
Um, I think just recognizing itand starting to see how do you
develop the programs.
And listen, we're we'rerealistic.
(32:36):
Now you can't be everything toeveryone, but where are your
strengths that you could maybeamplify one or two of those
particular areas and start tobuild out those programs on the
campus?
SPEAKER_00 (32:47):
Well, it's it's wild to think that in about three
years, Bentonville's strength isgoing to be not one, but two
four-year universities in ourcity.
I mean, who thought there wouldbe a day like that?
I mean, she you mentioned theSTEM University there at the
four Walmart campus.
So yeah, this is a four-yearmedical school, of course, but
there's only ever going to beone inaugural class of students.
(33:09):
Right.
Right.
You've got 48 students in yourinaugural class.
I think you had over 2,000applications.
Yes.
Probably going to have a lotmore for your second and third
classes.
SPEAKER_02 (33:17):
Second class was hitting about 5,000
applications, right?
And it's, and you know, we hadto close out because of the
deadlines.
Um, and the the level ofinterest is just skyrocketed.
Because I think everybody'scraving this approach, you know,
um, and we've been afforded theopportunity to try to create it
(33:38):
a little bit in a different way.
And, you know, we're also tryingto be mindful of how do we
replicate this?
You know, we've been alsotalking to several other new
medical schools that arestarting that maybe one or two
years behind us that are askingfor advice.
And we we feel very stronglythat we should share whatever
we're learning.
We had to learn things andfigure it out.
I think it only helps thecountry if we help others see
(34:02):
how we're doing it.
Doesn't mean we're doing it thebest, but we might learn a trick
or two from talking to them.
But, you know, I think that ourstudents actually have been our
biggest ambassadors.
They're out recruiting, saying,hey, it's it's not easy, but
this is real.
Like we are, we're feelingsupported and we are really
(34:22):
enjoying it.
So I think that's a truetestament to our faculty that
have done this.
SPEAKER_00 (34:27):
Yeah, well, and uh, I would be remiss if I didn't
mention, of course, one of thoseambassadors is the University of
Central Arkansas graduate, isone of the inaugural classes.
That's exactly right.
So we're very proud of that.
I hope that uh uh there areothers that follow stuff,
though.
What have you learned about thisgroup?
How are how are they um gettingalong collegially and just
knowing the fact that, hey,we're the first class, there's a
(34:49):
certain responsibility to thatand a certain level of uh
excitement to that too.
SPEAKER_02 (34:53):
Well, you know, they're very engaged.
And and you know, during theirfirst week of orientation, they
are they are selected to be inone of four houses that are
named after doctors that havereally been um groundbreaking in
the country that built theircommunity, but one of their
first projects is each house hasa community service that they
(35:14):
work, you know, for a communityum uh team building.
That has been their favoritepart of starting medical school.
And they continue to work withthose community um leaders.
And I think that's amazing thatthey are so they're already in
the community.
So they're actually saying, canyou build out residency
programs?
Because we want to stay.
(35:34):
And this is what we want.
And that's the next, see, itnever ends, right?
We're we're working.
We're so Alice has jumped inwith looking at what does the
state need, right?
Working with the governor'steam.
I sit on the expansion board,um, but it takes a team.
So I love the fact that theywant to stay and they want us to
continue to build that outbecause they want to stay and
(35:57):
work with us.
Um, you know, and we'repartnered with Mercy as our
educational partner becausethey're throughout the
heartland, right?
So we get to expose the studentsto one of the 55 hospitals that
they have in their system.
Again, more exposure, moreunderstanding.
But our local partners are soimportant for the students to
work with and they're startingto work with, and they will be,
(36:19):
you know, from community clinicto Washington Regional to all
the other uh folks that are inthe area that we feel will
broaden their scope ofunderstanding of how complex
healthcare delivery is, butthey're gonna gain understanding
from each group because theyhave to deal with a different
issue, right?
(36:40):
So um they're loving that piece.
They're loving that piece.
SPEAKER_00 (36:44):
So with the you know um dramatic increase in interest
and applications, do youanticipate?
I mean, is your are your classesgoing to stay in that 50 range
of students, even yes?
SPEAKER_02 (36:54):
So until we get full accreditation after the first
year class, you know, graduates,um we have a chance to increase
the size.
So that school is built toaccommodate 96 per year, so
double.
Okay.
But we won't go straight away.
We will look at thefaculty-student ratio.
We will um look at what we youdon't want to dilute it out too
(37:15):
much.
So we will probably increase itby a certain percentage.
We haven't decided yet.
Um, we have some time, but youdon't jump straight up to the
the the doubling.
But the max will ever be is 96 ayear, which is still a very
intimate, good, small group, Ithink, because a lot of schools
are having to be really large toaccommodate the pipeline needs
(37:35):
for a school for for producingphysicians.
SPEAKER_00 (37:38):
Yeah.
What what um during this processin the past three years, what
has um, I guess what has keptyou centered?
I mean, what have you learnedabout yourself as far as uh
leadership?
Uh you you've been in aleadership position before, yes,
but nothing quite like thiswhere you're managing a lot
going from scratch.
What have you learned aboutyourself?
SPEAKER_02 (37:58):
You know, um you always have to be learning,
right?
And you have to stay humble tothe fact that you don't know
everything there is to know, andyou have to, you have to listen.
I think, I think I've alwaysbeen a good listener, but I'm
really listening on a differentlevel and having very clear.
I I try to be very clear.
(38:20):
Clarity is always important tome.
I I need clarity to help meunderstand, help someone else
understand.
Um, and the teams that youbuild, I don't want them to just
be yes, okay, we're gonna dothis, whatever you want.
I want them to say, what are wemissing?
You think about it this way.
It doesn't mean that we're gonnado exactly what you want.
(38:42):
But I, for me, it's a continuouslearning process.
And I'm trying to help the ourall layers of our team
understand that I don't expectyou to have the answer.
Just like you can't expect me tohave the answer.
I don't know.
We're all learning it.
Um, you know, they they tell youyou got to be pretty
straightforward and and showthat you know the answers,
(39:04):
right?
Because it helps people feelcalm and uh we're just real
about it.
Like, I don't know.
I really don't know, but let'sfigure it out.
Um, it could be unnerving forother people.
I have to be okay with that too.
I have to be okay that listen,we're gonna be fine, we're gonna
be good, but I don't know allthe answers.
I say it out loud more.
unknown (39:25):
Okay.
SPEAKER_02 (39:26):
I think I I I've learned to say that out loud
more.
And I don't think I've ever hada problem saying I'm wrong or I
didn't do that right.
Um, but we always say, like theyalways say, fail fast, right?
Um I'm okay with that.
But I as long as I know peopleare trying to figure it out.
If it's because they're justbeing a little lax about it,
(39:47):
which everybody we all gothrough cycles and we gotta, we
gotta up our game because thisis too high stakes.
SPEAKER_00 (39:53):
I I bet there weren't too many days when you
were feeling lax the last threedays over there bringing this uh
project alive.
SPEAKER_02 (40:00):
And our teams too.
They they were working onovertime.
If anything we have to tellthem, you gotta go, go home.
SPEAKER_00 (40:05):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (40:06):
Go relax.
Go outside on the green roof.
SPEAKER_00 (40:08):
Right.
Do you see people?
Um, we mentioned them andthere's a this is a public
facing, you know, um physicaladdress, an institution.
It's not just an academiccampus.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (40:17):
Do you see have you seen a lot of people, you know,
just you're you're, you know, wehave hours of I think 10 to 5,
because we we have to reservethe morning for um the students
and for our own meetings.
Um, but it's open to the publicMonday through Friday.
Um and no, they come through.
Our front desk team tells us,like, oh, they're asking about
(40:40):
this.
So the front desk team has hadto learn a lot about the school.
We're even designing how the umthe monitors display what's
happening in the school so theyfeel like they understand.
Um, you know, we have artworkthat's on the first floor, as
you saw, that's part of thecurriculum.
So our teams at Crystal Bridges,Art Bridges curates it.
(41:01):
Um, but they've worked veryclosely with our curriculum uh
leadership team.
And I think it's fun foreverybody to see what the
students are learning in realtime.
Um, and so I, you know, as youmet my mom, my mom is like, This
is not what I thought a medicalschool looks like.
Neither for me, mom.
And you know what's amazing iswe have so many windows.
(41:22):
Like when I was in in class, wewere in this dungeon, you know,
lecture hall.
We don't have lecture hall.
We have to we actually use thelobby as our we need a really
bigger space.
Otherwise, we're just inintimate spaces, a lot of
windows.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (41:38):
Yeah.
The tour that we went on uh withyou and and uh Yogi walking us
through, it is not all have abig bench line of medical
schools to compare it to, but uhI could see it in in your eyes
and your description, andeveryone is saying yeah, this is
not um that's right normal inthe world of medical school
academia, some of the theamenities that the students have
(42:00):
and the spaces that they thinkfrom like classroom to hang out
to study to movies andeverything.
SPEAKER_02 (42:06):
Yeah, I mean their student lounge.
I if I were them, I'd be livingthere today.
SPEAKER_00 (42:11):
It is an incredible space.
SPEAKER_02 (42:13):
It is, it is, and I think that just shows the
commitment to supportingwell-being and um you know, we
have a little gym, we have allof that.
If you can't relax there, Idon't know where else you can
relax while you're under duresswith uh all the studying, right?
SPEAKER_00 (42:28):
So well, yeah, there there's a like you meant there's
a general curiosity about theplace and about the school and
about uh the green roof and allthat that entails.
So and also I think that tiesinto just there's a general
curiosity about uh everythingthat is happening in in
Bentonville and NorthwestArkansas.
So when you when you put yourhat on and you you think maybe
10 or 20 years down the road,um, how do you hope people will
(42:51):
be talking about uh awesome'simpact on health care in
Arkansas?
SPEAKER_02 (42:56):
Yes.
You know, I what we our dreamthat we hope to see come to
fruition, which I think we're onthe right track with just
looking at the caliber and typeof students that we have, our
faculty, is we want to show animpact on how they care for
their communities.
So we would love to see thatthey're here working throughout
the state, throughout theHeartland region, delivering
(43:19):
care to those that need it themost.
And um, if we can help trainthem working with also our
partners at Mercy, with how doyou add in the, you know, the
virtual networks to helpsupport?
Because it's you know, it's onething to have patient access
issues, but it's also thesupport system you need for the
docs, the nurses, the teams thatare in rural areas that if it's
(43:42):
just one of you there, how doyou survive?
Because just putting a secondone doesn't work, but how do you
reconnect back to the centralhub and how do we support them
in delivering that care?
Because I think that's the powerof academic centers is you've
got teams and you've got asupport network.
And then when you just go 10miles out, there's nobody.
(44:04):
Um, and we want to connect backand share the resources that we
have.
So we want that built into themindset that you always have to
be looking at how are youproviding the best care.
And if you don't know what todo, you call, you connect back,
you either send the patients orwe help you take care of them
there.
So that's the ultimate goal iswe want it, we want it shared
(44:24):
out throughout, and we want thatmentality to emanate throughout
the country that you got toshare.
Yeah, it's not about you sayingyou're the best at this, you're
connecting, you're justreconnecting and helping to
support.
SPEAKER_00 (44:36):
Now, do you still have the mentality of um the um
the uh instructor?
Are you instructing at all inthe classroom or have you
graduated to the to the C-suiteforever?
SPEAKER_02 (44:45):
No, no, no, you have to come back to the core.
I mean, I have my privileges atsome of the hospital to
practice.
There's there's the my problemin my specialty is there's not a
lot of G1 oncologists.
And so it's hard for me to dothat level of surgery and not
have a team to help take care ofthat patient.
Otherwise, that's my full-timejob.
Um I I think that you know, itit's it's it's always going to
(45:08):
be a challenge of how do weshare our knowledge.
And I think it's important as aswe get older, I'll say me, you
know, how do we share thatknowledge back?
I I have taught in the taught isa loose where we we uh the uh
the dean of the business school,Brent, and I did a leadership
class um during our healthsystem science track.
(45:28):
So in Yogi has taught policy.
Um Claude is is Pertle at theWhole Health Institute, has also
helped to teach in that class.
He was the thread leader.
Um he's so busy that we had toget some more people to help do
it.
But we're trying to teachreal-time learnings of how it is
to actually practice.
(45:48):
Um, so my role was at least theyrequested something about
leadership.
So that's what we talked about.
That even in business orhealthcare, it's the same
principles.
And look at how we're workingtogether to try to figure out
how to do this better.
And so that was we did a littlelecture series, and then Alice
came and joined us as well.
(46:09):
So they saw like how how are weall communicating about
leadership?
Yep.
Um, so that was the piece thatwe taught.
Um, but you know, even ouraccrediting um, our
accreditation lead, she teachesin the anatomy lab.
So we're trying to show that weall have different facets to our
background and how do we sharethat knowledge?
SPEAKER_00 (46:28):
Yeah.
Well, I can uh put this on yourplate that there's a four-year
institution in Conway, about twoand a half hours away, that
would absolutely love to uhbenefit from your uh insight on
leadership in business andhealthcare.
And so if there's any way we canmake that happen, we would we
would sure love to do that too.
SPEAKER_02 (46:46):
And we're happy to visit campus in Conway.
SPEAKER_00 (46:48):
That would be a good thing.
We'd love that.
SPEAKER_02 (46:49):
We'd love that.
SPEAKER_00 (46:50):
If you're imparting knowledge then, yeah, you know,
to let's say um, you know,prospective students, a student
in Arkansas today who isconsidering um, you know, maybe
somebody at UCA thinking abouthealthcare, thinking about going
in that path.
Yes.
What would you want them to knowabout that path ahead?
SPEAKER_02 (47:05):
You know that it's it's one of the greatest
privileges to work in that fieldbecause uh to be able to care
for somebody else to help themthrough a a difficult situation,
I think is is the greatestprivilege.
Um and it's it's one that wetake very seriously.
You know, we sometimes we'retold we're a little too serious
acting at the school.
I'm like, well, it's seriousbusiness.
(47:26):
You know, we still have fun, butit's serious.
So it is very rewarding.
As much as the pandemic revealedsome of the problems, um we've
looked at that to see how do webring humanity back into
medicine.
It seems like it should be agiven, but I think there's been
a disconnect.
Um, I'm here to say that we'recommitted to bringing humanity
(47:49):
back in because I think that'sthat's not a soft skill.
That is a vital, essential skillon how you work with each other,
how do you care for each other?
I think the specialty ofhealthcare is so rewarding.
Um, that just to keep in mindit's hard.
Anything worth anything takeseffort and is hard sometimes,
(48:09):
but it's so worth it.
I think to have a career in thisarea is incredibly rewarding.
And I have to remind myself onthose tough days, um, but it's
not hard.
It's not hard to.
And I think we're nobody's everfully happy with anything
they're doing, right?
You're always gonna, but it'sokay to gripe about, get it out
of your system and keep going.
(48:30):
But look at the big picture.
I think it's just uh it's a it'sa beautiful area to be in.
SPEAKER_00 (48:36):
Well, it sounds as though uh despite those um
perceived, the perceiveddisconnect and the perceived
challenges, you have a highoptimism about the future of
healthcare in this region.
SPEAKER_02 (48:46):
Absolutely, absolutely.
And I think, listen, I mean, ifwe still walked away from
Betonville um across thecountry, you know, I'm we're
getting asked to be on panelsand talk about it.
People are curious how we'recreating this ecosystem that
Alice is building out with hervision, with her team from from
Ruben, who who leads herfoundation.
(49:08):
I mean, we work all together.
Um, they're asking, like, howhow do you how are you doing
this?
And how can we help be a part ofthat?
Um, and how do we take that backand build it out?
So I think it's a reallyexciting time to be here.
And I think just in my threeyears, I've seen the growth.
(49:28):
Right.
It's been incredible.
And I think it's just gonna, Ithink it's gonna explode even
more.
SPEAKER_00 (49:33):
Well, Sharmilla, thank you for your leadership.
And again, thanks for coming tovisit with us today and uh for
choosing to invest your time andyour energy in Arkansas.
But that's because you're a truesoutherner.
SPEAKER_02 (49:44):
That's right.
Well, thank you so much.
Really appreciate you.
And uh and uh please come visitat you know, anybody on the
campus that wants to come.
SPEAKER_00 (49:52):
Yeah, I would and I would tell anybody uh in
Bentonville and NorthwestArkansas if you've not been by
the campus on Northeast JStreet, don't be intimidated by
the you know, there's a lot ofconstruction going on across the
street, which housing housingfor future students, right?
That's going on right now.
So yeah, yeah.
Get out on the campus, walk onthe green space and the trails,
have a cup of coffee.
It's uh it's a beautiful place.
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (50:11):
Well, thank you.
SPEAKER_00 (50:12):
All right, well, thanks very much for visiting
about all things uh awesome.
SPEAKER_02 (50:15):
Thank you so much.
Appreciate it.
SPEAKER_00 (50:17):
All right, that's it for this edition of Central to
NWA.
Appreciate you tuning in.
Until next time, go Bears.
That's it for this episode ofCentral to NWA, a UCA podcast.
I'm Paul Gatling, SeniorDirector of Northwest Arkansas
Engagement for the University ofCentral Arkansas.
Be sure to subscribe to the showand follow UCA on all the
(50:38):
appropriate social media.
I'll see you next time onCentral to NWA.
This is Central to NWA, a UCA podcast.
I'm your host, Paul Gatling, andwe are bringing the University
of Central Arkansas to NorthwestArkansas.
Each episode, we will talk withleaders, alumni, and innovators
driving this region forward.
People who are shapingindustries and defining what is
next for our state.
(00:22):
Let's get started.
We are back.
Welcome into another edition ofCentral to NWA, a UCA podcast.
I'm your host, Paul Gatling.
Appreciate you tuning in withus.
And just a quick reminder beforewe get started about what this
podcast is about.
It's about leadership, it'sabout community, and it's about
the people who are shapingNorthwest Arkansas.
So, with that in mind, whilethis is a UCA branded podcast,
(00:45):
we do have alums, but we alsohave people who are not graduate
of the University of CentralArkansas.
So, from that perspective, I'mso happy to welcome my guest
today, Dr.
Sharmilla Makija.
She is the chief executiveofficer and the founding dean of
the brand spanking new,aesthetically beautiful Alice L.
Walton School of Medicine inBentonville.
(01:06):
That acronym says it all, right?
It's awesome.
Awesome.
SPEAKER_02 (01:09):
It's awesome.
Yes, yes.
Well, thank you.
It's such a pleasure to be herewith you today.
You know, I was sharing with youearlier that uh I've told my
team whenever Paul calls, weanswer right away because you
were the first person tointerview me.
That's right.
Uh, before I even moved downhere, and I still remember that
conversation.
It it made me feel welcome andat home.
So thank you for inviting metoday.
SPEAKER_00 (01:30):
Well, I I share the same sentiments.
And like you said, we've knowneach other uh since you arrived
in Northwest Arkansas, what,three years ago?
SPEAKER_02 (01:36):
Three years ago.
Yeah, right.
SPEAKER_00 (01:37):
You'd just been announced as the founding dean
of the medical school, and I'veenjoyed getting to know you and
same here.
Watching you and your team buildtruly something special.
So, yeah, thanks for sittingdown with me today.
So uh, as you said, awesome isbuilding something special here
in Northwest Arkansas that um isgoing to have long-term impact.
I mean, not just in Arkansas,but beyond our borders.
(02:00):
So when you hear that, when youhear that perspective, what kind
of emotions does that bring?
SPEAKER_02 (02:05):
Oh, yes.
And you and you were at ourgrand opening in October, and we
opened in July, but we had thiscelebration in October, and you
saw that we were all, I think,all just taken aback and
overwhelmed when we saweverybody there to support us
with our faculty and studentsthere, that it actually
happened.
And then the impact that'sbeyond our doors right here in
(02:25):
Arkansas because the commitmentwas very clear from Alice and
her vision to help the people ofArkansas, so Northwest Arkansas,
but the state of Arkansas andbeyond.
So we look at rural areasthroughout the heartland as
being our focus.
And I think that in this day andage, when a lot of the attention
is on the coastlines, where alot of the funding goes to, you
(02:48):
look at the problems in theheartland, the health care is
some of the lowest in thecountry as far as the ratings
are concerned.
And so our commitment was toproduce and train these types of
students that understand wholeperson care.
Yeah.
So it's really an amazingopportunity.
And to see the impact alreadythat these students are having
(03:10):
on the community is reallyheartwarming.
It's really overwhelming attimes.
SPEAKER_00 (03:14):
Yeah, I'm sure you've got a lot of great
success stories and fun storiesfrom the first semester now into
the second semester of theschool.
Yeah, you the ground, the thegrand opening day in October,
you mentioned it really was uh Iremember it was cold.
SPEAKER_02 (03:26):
So very cold and rainy, but it made everybody
stay inside, right?
SPEAKER_00 (03:29):
We all got to, and to me, that was like that made
it more of a shared experience.
Yes because we were in a muchcloser confine than everybody in
you.
SPEAKER_03 (03:37):
Yes.
SPEAKER_00 (03:38):
You you said the word, it was really
awe-inspiring.
And I've used that wordaesthetically awesome and
beautiful.
Yes.
And we'll get into the the thecurriculum, yes, of course, but
just the the beauty of thatplace.
Yes.
And if you haven't been, I mean,there's a please come visit.
Yeah, there's a public-facingelement.
There's green space, there's acoffee shop, there's the of
course the green roof thateverybody has been talking about
(03:59):
for years, and we've beenreporting about at the Business
Journal for years.
So that's right.
Um, yeah, it's very exciting.
And congratulations to you andeveryone.
To the team, yeah.
Yeah, to the team to get thisfar.
So all right.
Well, I want to start with justuh a very brief part of uh your
overall bio of your career.
And if you're listening orwatching today, you could find
all of this uh in much greaterdetail online at the medical
(04:21):
school uh uh website.
So Sharmila is an oncologist bytraining and is considered an
international expert ingynecologic cancer.
Before becoming here, beforecoming here, she was the
department chair of obstetricsand gynecology at the women's uh
of women's health at AlbertEinstein College of Medicine,
which is part of one of NewYork's uh premier uh academic
(04:43):
health systems, Montefiorehealth system.
Uh also held faculty positionsat the University of Pittsburgh,
University of Alabama atBirmingham, Emory University,
and the University ofLouisville.
So your career has taken you allover the country.
Right.
Right.
But um back in our initialinterview, which again when I
was working at the NorthwestArkansas Business Journal, um
(05:05):
picked up the phone and calledher when you were uh uh first
announced, and we had a greatconversation.
And I always remembered youdescribed yourself as a true
southerner.
SPEAKER_02 (05:13):
Yes.
SPEAKER_00 (05:14):
Right?
Why is that?
Why are you a true southerner?
SPEAKER_02 (05:16):
Well, you know, I was born and raised in
Montgomery, Alabama.
My mom still lives there, andum, that's always been my core.
So wherever I go to travel, Ikeep those core values.
And I think it really stems fromgrowing up in that area, how our
families really just worked inthe community.
Um, you know, I come from afamily of educators, but the
southern way of talking topeople, being with people, being
(05:40):
connected, it's always stay withme.
It doesn't matter if I'm inManhattan or Atlanta or
Bettonville.
That's still, that connectionstill is pretty strong.
And I think I shared with youwhen I came to to interview
here, um, I immediately feltthat same feeling as growing up
in Montgomery.
And I thought, okay, this isthis is almost like coming back
(06:04):
home, even though it's notAlabama.
It it felt I felt that sameconnection.
So yeah, it's it's in your it'sin your system.
No matter where you go live,it's always in your system.
SPEAKER_00 (06:14):
So you growing up in Alabama, you mentioned a family
of educators a bit more aboutyour mom and your dad.
What did they do?
Did they have any impact on youroh, fully.
SPEAKER_02 (06:23):
I think they're they are the reason that I'm here.
Um, you know, my dad was acollege chemistry professor, my
mom was is a retired high schoolbiology teacher.
Um, so we education was alwaysin our blood.
And I think that because of thatvalue on education, I've always
gravitated towards working in anacademic center that values
(06:46):
education, but also how do youwork in the community?
So it was always very importantto my parents that we understand
where we're living, how do weingrain ourselves with the
community, but how do we giveback?
So I think I shared with you atthe dinner table, we would, you
know, I'm uh the eldest of threekids.
Um, and they would charge us atthe table with, what did not
(07:08):
only what did you learn today,but how did you make someone
else's day better?
And so we would scramble saying,Oh my God, what are you gonna
say?
Like, what do we have to say?
But then it became like, oh no,we we actually have to do this.
SPEAKER_03 (07:19):
Yep.
SPEAKER_02 (07:20):
So, you know, I have to admit, like, we didn't know
what that meant, but we wouldliterally just say to someone,
well, how can I make your daybetter?
But just even by asking that,change the dynamic of how you
connect to somebody.
So it's it's always stayed withme.
And anytime we're in ourleadership meetings or team
meetings, that that's part ofthe theme too, of how do we do
(07:40):
this better?
How do we make this better forthe community?
Um, it can't be always aboutwhat's just good for us at that
moment.
So I think their values werevery, you know, I was very lucky
to have parents that just talkedabout that, that day and age.
SPEAKER_00 (07:56):
So yeah, you probably went from, you know,
forcing yourself, what are wegoing to talk about tonight?
to you're probably having tochoose from things.
That's right.
It was just became a part ofyour part of your life.
So that's right.
Um what made you decide, youknow, your your father, your
father and mother were educatorsand uh in the science part, but
what made you decide, physician,you know, the medical field?
(08:16):
What what made you decide thisis this is the path I want to go
to, and this is the path I wantto excel in.
SPEAKER_02 (08:21):
Yes.
So a lot of our family friends,they were doctors.
So I would either go and, youknow, go into their offices, see
what they did.
I was a hospital volunteer, butprobably the greatest influence
was my grandfather, was adoctor.
And then he was in India, and hewas a he he was, you know, we
would say family doctor, but hewas a surgeon.
(08:42):
He did primary care.
If you had to define it intoday's standards, he did
everything.
SPEAKER_00 (08:47):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (08:47):
And um, and I thought, let me go see you got
to see that.
I did.
I went at the age of nine.
I I asked my parents to send meto India to spend the summer in
India.
And, you know, what what how doyou respond to a nine-year-old?
And I said, I can go on my own.
And um, back then it was Pan Am,and you had a flight attendant
that escorted you.
(09:08):
And um, I spent the summer withhim and I carried his little
doctor's bag, and there would bea row of patients waiting to be
seen.
Their grandkids usually were theones who could speak English.
So I would take take do they dothe intake to see how, like
what's going on, tell me what'shappening.
(09:28):
And then I'd go into the intothe room.
SPEAKER_03 (09:30):
Yep.
SPEAKER_02 (09:31):
And I learned that art of how do you communicate?
How do you really understandwhat's happening with that
family, but long term.
And um I think I also share withyou at one point was a funny
story because they would be sograteful that they'd say, What
can we do for you?
And I was like, Well, I'mmissing apple pie.
So one day, I don't know howmany people came by with apple
(09:54):
pies to the front door.
And my grandmother's like, Whatis happening?
And I'm like, Well, I just Itold them I like apple pie, but
they don't quite know how tomake it.
My grandmother said, Why wouldyou ask them to do that?
I'm like, but they asked me.
So I also learned you don'treally have you shouldn't really
ask for all of those.
SPEAKER_00 (10:10):
Think about that for the next thing.
SPEAKER_02 (10:11):
That's right.
That's exactly right.
But it was such a greatexperience that I said, I'm
going to do this.
I want to be like mygrandfather.
I want to, it connects with thevalues that the family our
family is saying internally.
And I think it's so gratifyingto see how you can impact
immediately.
And then you're seeing thatpatient over and over, that's
(10:33):
the long-term benefit.
Um, and that and it brings thecommunity together.
If they know they've been takencare of well, they're gonna stay
there and they're gonna beconnected.
And I think full circle here,here we are with Alice's belief
that connects very deeply on mysame values.
And I think that's why we'vebeen able to amplify our visions
together.
SPEAKER_00 (10:52):
So, how long did you stay over there in India the
first time you went as a?
SPEAKER_02 (10:55):
It was it was like three months or so, yes.
And you know, we I did go and dopainting and ballet and dance
and all that, but I was like,this is great, but I really
don't want to do this every day.
I can do that home.
I want to go out and see what'shappening.
So three months.
SPEAKER_00 (11:10):
Yeah, experience, yeah.
You mentioned Alice, um, andwe're gonna get into some uh
some more discussion about herassert, of course.
But when you first came toNorthwest Arkansas in 2023, what
do you recall that stood out toyou?
I don't know if you'd ever hadany experience of of visiting or
spending any time in Arkansas,but just what stood out to you
um, not just professionally, butculturally here.
(11:32):
I mean, you've deal you saidyou've lived in a lot of places
and you grew up in Alabama,India, and Manhattan and
Pittsburgh.
And just what do you recallabout your initial impressions
of this area?
SPEAKER_02 (11:42):
I mean, I think literally landing here, right,
from the airport, and I had torent a car, right?
So I had to figure out how toget around.
And I'm coming out of Manhattan,and I know how to drive, but you
know, you have to explore you'reused to getting into a taxi or
an Uber.
And so I had to really look atthe map, go back to the old
school way, really looking atwhere I was headed.
(12:04):
And it was immediately justconnecting, like it was calm.
Um, the people were incrediblyopen and inviting and nice.
And I thought that's that's alittle bit different from any
place I've ever moved toimmediately.
And they didn't know why I wasin town interviewing for.
I was just walking around thesquare and everybody's just
(12:26):
friendly.
And I thought, this is, youknow, this is like a Hallmark
movie, you know, like this isreal.
This is a real place.
And um, I remember telling mymom and you know, about that.
And when she came to to visitduring the grand opening, she's
like, I see it now.
I see what you see and I feel itthe same way.
So immediately inviting.
And I thought, okay, if we'regonna do a big thing like this
(12:49):
of opening a brand new school,you need to be in a community
that's that open and inviting.
Otherwise, it's already hardenough as it is.
And if you're fighting offnaysayers, which it's not a bad
thing to have people that tellyou what can't work, because it
keeps it in the back of yourmind.
But you don't want to befighting that battle.
(13:09):
It's already harder to do that.
So if we can collaborate andconnect and amplify, it's just
gonna be a better situation.
And so I immediately fell inlove with the with the city and
the because of the people.
SPEAKER_00 (13:23):
You could see yourself living and working
here.
SPEAKER_02 (13:25):
Yes.
SPEAKER_00 (13:26):
And I'm sure Kaylee Griffith and the tourism folks
at the Hallmark moviedescription that you just laid
out there.
SPEAKER_03 (13:32):
So yes, yes.
SPEAKER_00 (13:34):
So at what point did you realize um that this role
was about more than just umlaunching a school, that it
could help shape the future ofhealthcare, like we said, not
only in Arkansas but beyond ourborders.
SPEAKER_02 (13:47):
Yes.
You know, the beautiful thingabout working with Alice is she
she sees things as a wholepicture, right?
And many of us work in placesthat you look at what is the
problem that you're faced withfixing.
Um but in my world as adepartment chair, I saw a lot of
the issues that a medicalstudent may not have been
(14:09):
trained on X, and now they'recoming to do residency with us,
or a resident that was coming into work with us, and there were
gaps.
And then you fast forward thatto the delivery of health care.
So as a department chair, I wasconstantly looking at the big
picture of how do we look at thedelivery all across from
education to the actual deliveryof care.
(14:31):
And we worked on how we developpeople in a different way.
And so talking to Aliceimmediately, she saw it the same
way, like very similar, maybedifferent, coming from a
different angle, right?
Because she's not in thehealthcare world.
But she also saw that this isnot just about educating medical
students and producing doctors.
(14:53):
We have to look at the biggerpicture and we have to look at
what even happens before theyeven get to the point of
applying for med school to howdo we actually get the care here
in the community, but on adifferent level.
And so what I saw was that thiswas going to be a part of a big
picture.
And when you have that mindset,you can actually be more
(15:15):
creative in looking at solutionsbecause you have to look at it
broadly and you have to be veryinviting and collaborative,
right?
Because it's not just about youcan't possibly be the only
person doing this.
You have to get everybodyinvolved.
So that connected with me.
I've always worked inunderserved populations and
areas, and that's that's been mything.
So for me, this is a rural issuethat we have to address, but on
(15:40):
a global scale.
And can we create a model thatcan be replicated?
Because again, it might justwork here, but we need it to
work throughout the state ofArkansas and beyond, right?
Into the heartland states andwhere the rural areas are.
So that's when I saw, okay, thisis this is one piece, and I'm
happy to be a part of thispiece, but anything I can help
(16:02):
with shaping from experience andbringing in, that that just
makes me even happier to seewe're really trying to address
this on a global scale.
SPEAKER_00 (16:11):
So that is a big um responsibility, Ryan, when
you're trying to do somethingthat is uh different in such an
institutional way.
Yes.
Um, did that responsibility hityou all at once, or was it very
subtle like what I'm about to dohere?
SPEAKER_02 (16:27):
Yeah, I don't think it hit me fully at once because
I also saw that I'm part of ateam, right?
So when I talk about this, I'mnot the one doing all of it,
right?
We have teams at Heartland,Whole Health Institute.
We have those on what we callthe ecosystem of Crystal Bridges
campus, right?
Our museum partners are vital tothis.
Um, because again, we want toapproach it in a different way.
(16:50):
But it's as we started talkingthrough, I think it became very
clear to all of us.
And that's how I recruit, too,that the this is the job that
you're applying for, but this isa career and this is a um, you
know, a truly a privilege to beable to contribute to a bigger
picture, right?
(17:10):
So I think it and it depends onyour mindset, depends on if
you're it's not an easy task,right?
So you have to be really clearon what we're working on, the
fact that there is a little bitof flexibility involved and
adapting and changing course.
And, you know, you have to knowthat you have the right mindset
or you want to learn that to beable to do that.
SPEAKER_00 (17:32):
So excuse me.
Uh you mentioned that uh Aliceis not from the healthcare
field, uh, but she is from theum, I think the force of nature
field.
Yes, absolutely.
Um that's one of the things I'veyou can describe her with.
SPEAKER_03 (17:46):
Yes.
SPEAKER_00 (17:46):
Go back to your initial meeting with her.
First time you met her, firstconversations you've had to you,
what do you recall about that?
SPEAKER_02 (17:53):
Uh her warmth.
That, you know, because you youhave this picture in your mind,
right?
You can't help it.
You have you come to a pictureof what what is this going to be
like?
Yep.
Is it gonna be veryintimidating?
Is it um her warmth?
I mean, we she literally made mea cup of tea, right?
SPEAKER_03 (18:11):
Right.
SPEAKER_02 (18:12):
And we southern hospitality.
Southern hospitality, and wejust sat and talked.
SPEAKER_03 (18:16):
Yep.
SPEAKER_02 (18:16):
Because one of the things is we had to know that we
would be able to talk to eachother, right?
I mean, forget aboutqualification.
At some point, everybody isqualified once you get through
the search.
SPEAKER_00 (18:29):
But can we work together?
Can we work together?
SPEAKER_02 (18:31):
Can we disagree and get to a better place?
Because it's not about us, it'sabout what is good for the
community and for healthcare ingeneral.
And that was pretty immediatefrom me.
And I also remember telling her,it has to work both ways.
Like you have to like me, I haveto like too.
Like, because it if we're bothnot in sync, somebody's not
(18:55):
gonna be happy, right?
And and relationships don't workwell.
I mean, it can be transient ifit's, you know, you're not
getting along, but you're gonnaknow that you have to really be
able to work out yourdifferences.
I can't say we have differences.
We, you know, some are embeddedthings that happen in healthcare
that you can't necessarilychange unless you really revamp
(19:19):
everything.
So we just talk it out loud thatit's it's not so easy to to fix
health care.
And that's a big task that she'sundertaking.
But she's okay with that.
Yeah, right.
Because she she's committed toit.
And for me, that's a differencebecause I have worked in places
(19:39):
where rightfully so, the CEO ismandated by the board to do
something, or you you've got alot of other, they've got a lot
of other pressures, includingtheir own job.
Um she doesn't have that, right?
And for me, I'm also at thestage in my life where I've done
everything in The academic worldthat I thought I would want to
(20:02):
do.
So I'm also willing to take arisk of okay, maybe it won't
work, but we're gonna, it'sgonna be a better place by just
trying to do it differently.
SPEAKER_00 (20:12):
Right.
So that's a good point you made.
You've you've uh achieved somuch in your academic career.
Uh you mentioned at some pointeverybody is qualified.
You know, a lot of people arequalified to do it.
Yes.
The appeal of working uh withAlice Walton is one thing.
How appealing was it to be umthe founding dean of a medical
school?
That doesn't happen very often.
(20:33):
How much would that a part ofyour decision making?
SPEAKER_02 (20:36):
You know, that if you overthink it, would be it's
a little scary, right?
Because who prepares you forthat?
And you know, I can go into adepartment and restructure it,
um, but you have a foundationthat's already there, and you
can try to fix that foundationas much as you can.
To start it off, it it was theclose to being an entrepreneur,
(20:57):
I think, that I'll ever bewithout being an entrepreneur,
right?
Because it's it's probably thesafest entrepreneurial, you
know, job to get into becauseyou know you've got the support
to be able to build it.
Um, but it's to start andbuilding that team.
Um that that was a littledaunting.
SPEAKER_00 (21:17):
Yeah, you know, I think what's the first thing
that you do?
What was the first task?
SPEAKER_02 (21:21):
Well, and I learned from, you know, my, yeah, you go
to business school, but younever know, like this is not
what they teach you.
But it's, you know, and I thinkI shared too with you that when
I went to business school, it Ithought it was to learn finance
and accounting because we werenot taught that in med school.
But I quickly learned it wasmore important about
organizational behavior.
(21:42):
That is what's going to make youor break you.
Um, and we don't talk about thattoo often, but it makes sense.
It's about the people.
And so, you know, you have to bewilling to say the things that
people don't want to hear, uh,but you have to do it
respectfully.
And they still may go aroundsaying it's not done well.
But I had to be able to say outloud, okay, guys, we've got to
(22:05):
be able to, this is where weneed to go.
We're gonna have to fix some ofthe things that have already
been worked on, frankly.
Um, some like it, some don't,right?
But being able to work togetherand fixing that.
And some people stay and somepeople don't.
And so that's never fun.
I mean, I don't think anybodywill say they enjoy having
(22:26):
people leave.
Um, but I always think that ifit's right for them, it'll be
right for us, and as long asit's done respectfully.
So I think that was probably themost daunting is to start
building that foundation.
Um, because there had been ateam that was working on, and
they worked very hard and theydid a great job.
But even you have to keep goingin phases.
You have to keep restructuringand building as you grow.
(22:49):
And I think that's hard inacademics because sometimes it's
just set, and that's the comfortpiece.
Um, and that's why when we'rerecruiting, we have to talk
about like this is a littledifferent.
You're gonna have to be able tostomach, maybe we got to change
course, and you gotta be able tobe nimble and and and and move.
So I think that probably was thehardest part is just building
(23:13):
the team and keeping that lineof communication going and and
being able to say, hey, maybethis is not the right direction.
We've got to regroup.
Um, because also things changein the world too, that we have
to flex to.
Um, some things have to bestandard of the values and the
principles, but you have to havethat mindset of continuing to
(23:36):
evolve and grow.
SPEAKER_00 (23:37):
So on the flip side of that, um, what has gone uh
better than you expected?
What has been smoother than youexpected in terms of, you know,
building the physical building,recruiting the the staff,
recruiting the teachers,recruiting the students?
What has been smoother aspect ofthat?
SPEAKER_02 (23:51):
You know what the same part that's hard has been
the most rewarding.
So that team, um, because youknow, you can't do it on your
own.
It has to be about the team.
And I will say the team thatwe've built are just incredible,
incredibly dedicated,mission-focused, recruiting
others that think like that.
But also they're recruitingpeople from other places that
(24:14):
you wouldn't necessarily thinkabout from undergraduate to
teach in the medical school,right?
Because we're always so focusedon medical schools.
I think that the people that wehave on the team is the secret
sauce.
And I think our faculty, ourstaff I'm just amazed that they
want to come and do this withus.
(24:35):
You know, they're just greathuman beings and they are our
ambassadors.
And so I think that's thegreatest satisfaction that I've
seen that once we got the rightlike-minded, you know,
mission-focused people, it'sjust it's just amplified since
then.
Um I don't know anything's beeneasy, but it's been uh, as you
(24:56):
know, um, you know, what'samazing to me, I have worked,
and this is probably anon-academic thing to say, but
I've worked at many places whereyou've had to restructure
physical plants, and you know,you just kind of take it for
granted, it just gets done andthey don't talk to you about it.
This team, this constructionteam and the facilities team
(25:17):
that Alice has had working.
I have to do a shout out toScott Eccleson.
I mean I mean, unbelievable thatthey hear us and they work with
us and they produce this thingthat we we we have this vision
and we we joke around that avision without execution is just
a hallucination.
(25:38):
They help us execute on creatingthat building that would be this
environment for a beautifulenvironment for our students,
our faculty and staff to workand thrive in.
You know, because wellness isvery important to us.
Are we the best at it?
No, we have a lot of work to do,but at least the surroundings
are in a different environment.
(25:58):
But that that team has beenreally incredible.
And um, even my core leadershipteam of, you know, our our
general counsel, Sharon Bridges,that who would think a lawyer is
so violent.
She is probably more engagedwith our teams than anyone else.
She was a former LD nurse thatbecame put herself through law
(26:20):
school, right?
Um, Amy Winger, who's our VP offinance administration that you
know well, that was at UAMS.
Unbelievable as an administratorand finance person because she
listens and she helps the teamtry to get what they're trying
to do, their vision, and gettingit executed.
So I think it's been reallyincredibly fun to see that.
(26:43):
And look, we I can't say that weget commended because we're
we're always trying to dobetter.
We don't do a great, you know,perfect job at it, but we try.
I think the mindset is there.
SPEAKER_00 (26:54):
When I say Memorial Day 2024, that wasn't very much
fun, was it?
SPEAKER_02 (26:58):
It was not.
It was not.
SPEAKER_00 (27:00):
That was the curveball that you weren't
anticipating.
SPEAKER_02 (27:02):
Not anticipating.
And we were having to turn in alot of the paperwork for the
prelim, you know, before thesite visit.
That was we were under duress.
We were uh some of us were holedup at you know the hotels
because we needed electricityand um to get paperwork in, but
it was um but that brought uscloser together.
SPEAKER_00 (27:20):
Yeah, I mean, because at the end of the day,
you've still got that dateAugust 2025 that's that's
hanging there in the air thatthis is when we are starting.
SPEAKER_02 (27:28):
Yes.
And then we moved it up to July.
Yeah, right.
I mean, so we even decided wedidn't want to um disrupt what
UAMS was doing, so we moved upthe start day, which was and and
you know, as you know, weliterally moved into the
building a week before westarted.
SPEAKER_00 (27:45):
So well, one thing that um you know, let's talk a
little bit about whole health,and one thing that kind of
resonates with me is you know,that that physical, mental,
community uh well-being.
And so at UCA, our College ofHealth and Behavioral Sciences,
yeah, you know, that's uh, youknow, we educate nurses and
physical therapists andoccupational therapists and and
behavioral health and all thatstuff.
(28:05):
You know, the people who umtouch patients before um uh and
long after a physician's visit,right?
So just give me your perspectiveon how important that is.
SPEAKER_02 (28:16):
Oh, it's vitally important.
And I think most med schools arestarting to have to address
this, um, but we call itinterprofessional education.
Um, and we have a team thatreally looks at how do we expose
our students to learning how towork on a team.
You know, we talk aboutteamwork, but we train them in
med school to be independentthinkers.
(28:37):
And then we say, now you gottawork on a team.
Again, it goes to thatorganizational behavior and
showing that it's you don't haveto know all the answers.
You have a team of folks thatare very good in their area and
working together collaborativelyjust makes everything go to
another level.
(28:57):
And frankly, that's a signal tothe patients that you're willing
to work with them on this.
So it's very important to us.
And as you know, we're buildingout.
Um, I'm saying we, but Alice andher family are building out, you
know, the Ignite High School,right?
To amplify the work they'redoing to expose high school kids
on not only being a doctor,right?
(29:19):
All the healthcare areas fromEMT to medical assistance to
phlebotomy, and they getcertifications on that, and
they're out in the world doingthis work.
I think exposing them to thisjust gives them a broader sense
of what you could do inhealthcare.
It's not about all about being adoctor or a nurse, right?
(29:39):
That you got to have the wholeteam.
You saw in the pandemic that therate limiting um area was the
respiratory therapist, right?
And so hospitals could not runwithout them.
They were in demand and theywere overworked.
Um, that signaled to everyone,look, it takes everyone um to be
able to deliver health care.
(30:00):
Um, and that's how the, and wecan talk about that at some
point, about the healthcarecampus of we're looking at that
whole picture as well oftraining all of the teams that
will need to be trained todeliver healthcare.
SPEAKER_00 (30:14):
Yeah, well, that's one thing that I've learned in
this role uh in Arkansas is thestate works better when
institutions work better andcollaborate.
You mentioned the Igniteprofessional studies uh at
Bentonville High School, andthat kind of leads us into the
something you mentioned earlier,the the gaps in education and
the gaps in healthcareworkforce.
(30:34):
So where do universities like umthe University of Central
Arkansas, where do they play thebiggest role in filling those?
You know, what what skills dotoday's healthcare students need
that maybe were not emphasized10 years ago, 20 years ago?
SPEAKER_02 (30:48):
You know, I think bringing it to light that here
are all the opportunities towork in a healthcare system and
exposing them to that andstarting to train from
phlebotomists to therapists tobehavioral health therapists.
I mean, that that's a big demandacross the country with mental
health being a very importantaspect of care that we have so
(31:11):
often not addressed.
You know, that's what we'reteaching in the school is this
whole health principles.
And if you fast forward thoseprinciples, that is what
value-based care is based offof, looking at the whole person.
But we're calling it out andteaching it in the med school of
not only the physicalwell-being, um, even social
(31:31):
well-being that we've sort ofaddressed, not great, but we're
calling out mental, spiritual,all of those pieces that we
haven't actually trained peopleto learn how to recognize when
there's an issue and then how doyou address it?
I think all of those pieces,because it doesn't have to be,
again, the doctor that calls itout, the receptionist that's
(31:53):
taking in a patient and noticessomething to the medical
assistant.
Um, everybody is a part of theteam.
And training everybody torecognize and support that
builds a community.
So I think it's not justUniversity of Central Arkansas
that hasn't been doing it, noone's been doing it.
And I think that's another partof why the STEM University is
(32:16):
also being thought about andbuilt out here.
Um, and those students will workon our healthcare campus.
Again, they'll be building outall of those pieces to help
support the delivery of thecare.
Um, I think just recognizing itand starting to see how do you
develop the programs.
And listen, we're we'rerealistic.
(32:36):
Now you can't be everything toeveryone, but where are your
strengths that you could maybeamplify one or two of those
particular areas and start tobuild out those programs on the
campus?
SPEAKER_00 (32:47):
Well, it's it's wild to think that in about three
years, Bentonville's strength isgoing to be not one, but two
four-year universities in ourcity.
I mean, who thought there wouldbe a day like that?
I mean, she you mentioned theSTEM University there at the
four Walmart campus.
So yeah, this is a four-yearmedical school, of course, but
there's only ever going to beone inaugural class of students.
(33:09):
Right.
Right.
You've got 48 students in yourinaugural class.
I think you had over 2,000applications.
Yes.
Probably going to have a lotmore for your second and third
classes.
SPEAKER_02 (33:17):
Second class was hitting about 5,000
applications, right?
And it's, and you know, we hadto close out because of the
deadlines.
Um, and the the level ofinterest is just skyrocketed.
Because I think everybody'scraving this approach, you know,
um, and we've been afforded theopportunity to try to create it
(33:38):
a little bit in a different way.
And, you know, we're also tryingto be mindful of how do we
replicate this?
You know, we've been alsotalking to several other new
medical schools that arestarting that maybe one or two
years behind us that are askingfor advice.
And we we feel very stronglythat we should share whatever
we're learning.
We had to learn things andfigure it out.
I think it only helps thecountry if we help others see
(34:02):
how we're doing it.
Doesn't mean we're doing it thebest, but we might learn a trick
or two from talking to them.
But, you know, I think that ourstudents actually have been our
biggest ambassadors.
They're out recruiting, saying,hey, it's it's not easy, but
this is real.
Like we are, we're feelingsupported and we are really
(34:22):
enjoying it.
So I think that's a truetestament to our faculty that
have done this.
SPEAKER_00 (34:27):
Yeah, well, and uh, I would be remiss if I didn't
mention, of course, one of thoseambassadors is the University of
Central Arkansas graduate, isone of the inaugural classes.
That's exactly right.
So we're very proud of that.
I hope that uh uh there areothers that follow stuff,
though.
What have you learned about thisgroup?
How are how are they um gettingalong collegially and just
knowing the fact that, hey,we're the first class, there's a
(34:49):
certain responsibility to thatand a certain level of uh
excitement to that too.
SPEAKER_02 (34:53):
Well, you know, they're very engaged.
And and you know, during theirfirst week of orientation, they
are they are selected to be inone of four houses that are
named after doctors that havereally been um groundbreaking in
the country that built theircommunity, but one of their
first projects is each house hasa community service that they
(35:14):
work, you know, for a communityum uh team building.
That has been their favoritepart of starting medical school.
And they continue to work withthose community um leaders.
And I think that's amazing thatthey are so they're already in
the community.
So they're actually saying, canyou build out residency
programs?
Because we want to stay.
(35:34):
And this is what we want.
And that's the next, see, itnever ends, right?
We're we're working.
We're so Alice has jumped inwith looking at what does the
state need, right?
Working with the governor'steam.
I sit on the expansion board,um, but it takes a team.
So I love the fact that theywant to stay and they want us to
continue to build that outbecause they want to stay and
(35:57):
work with us.
Um, you know, and we'repartnered with Mercy as our
educational partner becausethey're throughout the
heartland, right?
So we get to expose the studentsto one of the 55 hospitals that
they have in their system.
Again, more exposure, moreunderstanding.
But our local partners are soimportant for the students to
work with and they're startingto work with, and they will be,
(36:19):
you know, from community clinicto Washington Regional to all
the other uh folks that are inthe area that we feel will
broaden their scope ofunderstanding of how complex
healthcare delivery is, butthey're gonna gain understanding
from each group because theyhave to deal with a different
issue, right?
(36:40):
So um they're loving that piece.
They're loving that piece.
SPEAKER_00 (36:44):
So with the you know um dramatic increase in interest
and applications, do youanticipate?
I mean, is your are your classesgoing to stay in that 50 range
of students, even yes?
SPEAKER_02 (36:54):
So until we get full accreditation after the first
year class, you know, graduates,um we have a chance to increase
the size.
So that school is built toaccommodate 96 per year, so
double.
Okay.
But we won't go straight away.
We will look at thefaculty-student ratio.
We will um look at what we youdon't want to dilute it out too
(37:15):
much.
So we will probably increase itby a certain percentage.
We haven't decided yet.
Um, we have some time, but youdon't jump straight up to the
the the doubling.
But the max will ever be is 96 ayear, which is still a very
intimate, good, small group, Ithink, because a lot of schools
are having to be really large toaccommodate the pipeline needs
(37:35):
for a school for for producingphysicians.
SPEAKER_00 (37:38):
Yeah.
What what um during this processin the past three years, what
has um, I guess what has keptyou centered?
I mean, what have you learnedabout yourself as far as uh
leadership?
Uh you you've been in aleadership position before, yes,
but nothing quite like thiswhere you're managing a lot
going from scratch.
What have you learned aboutyourself?
SPEAKER_02 (37:58):
You know, um you always have to be learning,
right?
And you have to stay humble tothe fact that you don't know
everything there is to know, andyou have to, you have to listen.
I think, I think I've alwaysbeen a good listener, but I'm
really listening on a differentlevel and having very clear.
I I try to be very clear.
(38:20):
Clarity is always important tome.
I I need clarity to help meunderstand, help someone else
understand.
Um, and the teams that youbuild, I don't want them to just
be yes, okay, we're gonna dothis, whatever you want.
I want them to say, what are wemissing?
You think about it this way.
It doesn't mean that we're gonnado exactly what you want.
(38:42):
But I, for me, it's a continuouslearning process.
And I'm trying to help the ourall layers of our team
understand that I don't expectyou to have the answer.
Just like you can't expect me tohave the answer.
I don't know.
We're all learning it.
Um, you know, they they tell youyou got to be pretty
straightforward and and showthat you know the answers,
(39:04):
right?
Because it helps people feelcalm and uh we're just real
about it.
Like, I don't know.
I really don't know, but let'sfigure it out.
Um, it could be unnerving forother people.
I have to be okay with that too.
I have to be okay that listen,we're gonna be fine, we're gonna
be good, but I don't know allthe answers.
I say it out loud more.
unknown (39:25):
Okay.
SPEAKER_02 (39:26):
I think I I I've learned to say that out loud
more.
And I don't think I've ever hada problem saying I'm wrong or I
didn't do that right.
Um, but we always say, like theyalways say, fail fast, right?
Um I'm okay with that.
But I as long as I know peopleare trying to figure it out.
If it's because they're justbeing a little lax about it,
(39:47):
which everybody we all gothrough cycles and we gotta, we
gotta up our game because thisis too high stakes.
SPEAKER_00 (39:53):
I I bet there weren't too many days when you
were feeling lax the last threedays over there bringing this uh
project alive.
SPEAKER_02 (40:00):
And our teams too.
They they were working onovertime.
If anything we have to tellthem, you gotta go, go home.
SPEAKER_00 (40:05):
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (40:06):
Go relax.
Go outside on the green roof.
SPEAKER_00 (40:08):
Right.
Do you see people?
Um, we mentioned them andthere's a this is a public
facing, you know, um physicaladdress, an institution.
It's not just an academiccampus.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_02 (40:17):
Do you see have you seen a lot of people, you know,
just you're you're, you know, wehave hours of I think 10 to 5,
because we we have to reservethe morning for um the students
and for our own meetings.
Um, but it's open to the publicMonday through Friday.
Um and no, they come through.
Our front desk team tells us,like, oh, they're asking about
(40:40):
this.
So the front desk team has hadto learn a lot about the school.
We're even designing how the umthe monitors display what's
happening in the school so theyfeel like they understand.
Um, you know, we have artworkthat's on the first floor, as
you saw, that's part of thecurriculum.
So our teams at Crystal Bridges,Art Bridges curates it.
(41:01):
Um, but they've worked veryclosely with our curriculum uh
leadership team.
And I think it's fun foreverybody to see what the
students are learning in realtime.
Um, and so I, you know, as youmet my mom, my mom is like, This
is not what I thought a medicalschool looks like.
Neither for me, mom.
And you know what's amazing iswe have so many windows.
(41:22):
Like when I was in in class, wewere in this dungeon, you know,
lecture hall.
We don't have lecture hall.
We have to we actually use thelobby as our we need a really
bigger space.
Otherwise, we're just inintimate spaces, a lot of
windows.
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (41:38):
Yeah.
The tour that we went on uh withyou and and uh Yogi walking us
through, it is not all have abig bench line of medical
schools to compare it to, but uhI could see it in in your eyes
and your description, andeveryone is saying yeah, this is
not um that's right normal inthe world of medical school
academia, some of the theamenities that the students have
(42:00):
and the spaces that they thinkfrom like classroom to hang out
to study to movies andeverything.
SPEAKER_02 (42:06):
Yeah, I mean their student lounge.
I if I were them, I'd be livingthere today.
SPEAKER_00 (42:11):
It is an incredible space.
SPEAKER_02 (42:13):
It is, it is, and I think that just shows the
commitment to supportingwell-being and um you know, we
have a little gym, we have allof that.
If you can't relax there, Idon't know where else you can
relax while you're under duresswith uh all the studying, right?
SPEAKER_00 (42:28):
So well, yeah, there there's a like you meant there's
a general curiosity about theplace and about the school and
about uh the green roof and allthat that entails.
So and also I think that tiesinto just there's a general
curiosity about uh everythingthat is happening in in
Bentonville and NorthwestArkansas.
So when you when you put yourhat on and you you think maybe
10 or 20 years down the road,um, how do you hope people will
(42:51):
be talking about uh awesome'simpact on health care in
Arkansas?
SPEAKER_02 (42:56):
Yes.
You know, I what we our dreamthat we hope to see come to
fruition, which I think we're onthe right track with just
looking at the caliber and typeof students that we have, our
faculty, is we want to show animpact on how they care for
their communities.
So we would love to see thatthey're here working throughout
the state, throughout theHeartland region, delivering
(43:19):
care to those that need it themost.
And um, if we can help trainthem working with also our
partners at Mercy, with how doyou add in the, you know, the
virtual networks to helpsupport?
Because it's you know, it's onething to have patient access
issues, but it's also thesupport system you need for the
docs, the nurses, the teams thatare in rural areas that if it's
(43:42):
just one of you there, how doyou survive?
Because just putting a secondone doesn't work, but how do you
reconnect back to the centralhub and how do we support them
in delivering that care?
Because I think that's the powerof academic centers is you've
got teams and you've got asupport network.
And then when you just go 10miles out, there's nobody.
(44:04):
Um, and we want to connect backand share the resources that we
have.
So we want that built into themindset that you always have to
be looking at how are youproviding the best care.
And if you don't know what todo, you call, you connect back,
you either send the patients orwe help you take care of them
there.
So that's the ultimate goal iswe want it, we want it shared
(44:24):
out throughout, and we want thatmentality to emanate throughout
the country that you got toshare.
Yeah, it's not about you sayingyou're the best at this, you're
connecting, you're justreconnecting and helping to
support.
SPEAKER_00 (44:36):
Now, do you still have the mentality of um the um
the uh instructor?
Are you instructing at all inthe classroom or have you
graduated to the to the C-suiteforever?
SPEAKER_02 (44:45):
No, no, no, you have to come back to the core.
I mean, I have my privileges atsome of the hospital to
practice.
There's there's the my problemin my specialty is there's not a
lot of G1 oncologists.
And so it's hard for me to dothat level of surgery and not
have a team to help take care ofthat patient.
Otherwise, that's my full-timejob.
Um I I think that you know, itit's it's it's always going to
(45:08):
be a challenge of how do weshare our knowledge.
And I think it's important as aswe get older, I'll say me, you
know, how do we share thatknowledge back?
I I have taught in the taught isa loose where we we uh the uh
the dean of the business school,Brent, and I did a leadership
class um during our healthsystem science track.
(45:28):
So in Yogi has taught policy.
Um Claude is is Pertle at theWhole Health Institute, has also
helped to teach in that class.
He was the thread leader.
Um he's so busy that we had toget some more people to help do
it.
But we're trying to teachreal-time learnings of how it is
to actually practice.
(45:48):
Um, so my role was at least theyrequested something about
leadership.
So that's what we talked about.
That even in business orhealthcare, it's the same
principles.
And look at how we're workingtogether to try to figure out
how to do this better.
And so that was we did a littlelecture series, and then Alice
came and joined us as well.
(46:09):
So they saw like how how are weall communicating about
leadership?
Yep.
Um, so that was the piece thatwe taught.
Um, but you know, even ouraccrediting um, our
accreditation lead, she teachesin the anatomy lab.
So we're trying to show that weall have different facets to our
background and how do we sharethat knowledge?
SPEAKER_00 (46:28):
Yeah.
Well, I can uh put this on yourplate that there's a four-year
institution in Conway, about twoand a half hours away, that
would absolutely love to uhbenefit from your uh insight on
leadership in business andhealthcare.
And so if there's any way we canmake that happen, we would we
would sure love to do that too.
SPEAKER_02 (46:46):
And we're happy to visit campus in Conway.
SPEAKER_00 (46:48):
That would be a good thing.
We'd love that.
SPEAKER_02 (46:49):
We'd love that.
SPEAKER_00 (46:50):
If you're imparting knowledge then, yeah, you know,
to let's say um, you know,prospective students, a student
in Arkansas today who isconsidering um, you know, maybe
somebody at UCA thinking abouthealthcare, thinking about going
in that path.
Yes.
What would you want them to knowabout that path ahead?
SPEAKER_02 (47:05):
You know that it's it's one of the greatest
privileges to work in that fieldbecause uh to be able to care
for somebody else to help themthrough a a difficult situation,
I think is is the greatestprivilege.
Um and it's it's one that wetake very seriously.
You know, we sometimes we'retold we're a little too serious
acting at the school.
I'm like, well, it's seriousbusiness.
(47:26):
You know, we still have fun, butit's serious.
So it is very rewarding.
As much as the pandemic revealedsome of the problems, um we've
looked at that to see how do webring humanity back into
medicine.
It seems like it should be agiven, but I think there's been
a disconnect.
Um, I'm here to say that we'recommitted to bringing humanity
(47:49):
back in because I think that'sthat's not a soft skill.
That is a vital, essential skillon how you work with each other,
how do you care for each other?
I think the specialty ofhealthcare is so rewarding.
Um, that just to keep in mindit's hard.
Anything worth anything takeseffort and is hard sometimes,
(48:09):
but it's so worth it.
I think to have a career in thisarea is incredibly rewarding.
And I have to remind myself onthose tough days, um, but it's
not hard.
It's not hard to.
And I think we're nobody's everfully happy with anything
they're doing, right?
You're always gonna, but it'sokay to gripe about, get it out
of your system and keep going.
(48:30):
But look at the big picture.
I think it's just uh it's a it'sa beautiful area to be in.
SPEAKER_00 (48:36):
Well, it sounds as though uh despite those um
perceived, the perceiveddisconnect and the perceived
challenges, you have a highoptimism about the future of
healthcare in this region.
SPEAKER_02 (48:46):
Absolutely, absolutely.
And I think, listen, I mean, ifwe still walked away from
Betonville um across thecountry, you know, I'm we're
getting asked to be on panelsand talk about it.
People are curious how we'recreating this ecosystem that
Alice is building out with hervision, with her team from from
Ruben, who who leads herfoundation.
(49:08):
I mean, we work all together.
Um, they're asking, like, howhow do you how are you doing
this?
And how can we help be a part ofthat?
Um, and how do we take that backand build it out?
So I think it's a reallyexciting time to be here.
And I think just in my threeyears, I've seen the growth.
(49:28):
Right.
It's been incredible.
And I think it's just gonna, Ithink it's gonna explode even
more.
SPEAKER_00 (49:33):
Well, Sharmilla, thank you for your leadership.
And again, thanks for coming tovisit with us today and uh for
choosing to invest your time andyour energy in Arkansas.
But that's because you're a truesoutherner.
SPEAKER_02 (49:44):
That's right.
Well, thank you so much.
Really appreciate you.
And uh and uh please come visitat you know, anybody on the
campus that wants to come.
SPEAKER_00 (49:52):
Yeah, I would and I would tell anybody uh in
Bentonville and NorthwestArkansas if you've not been by
the campus on Northeast JStreet, don't be intimidated by
the you know, there's a lot ofconstruction going on across the
street, which housing housingfor future students, right?
That's going on right now.
So yeah, yeah.
Get out on the campus, walk onthe green space and the trails,
have a cup of coffee.
It's uh it's a beautiful place.
Yes.
SPEAKER_02 (50:11):
Well, thank you.
SPEAKER_00 (50:12):
All right, well, thanks very much for visiting
about all things uh awesome.
SPEAKER_02 (50:15):
Thank you so much.
Appreciate it.
SPEAKER_00 (50:17):
All right, that's it for this edition of Central to
NWA.
Appreciate you tuning in.
Until next time, go Bears.
That's it for this episode ofCentral to NWA, a UCA podcast.
I'm Paul Gatling, SeniorDirector of Northwest Arkansas
Engagement for the University ofCentral Arkansas.
Be sure to subscribe to the showand follow UCA on all the
(50:38):
appropriate social media.
I'll see you next time onCentral to NWA.
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