UAMS Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging

Dr. Jeanne Wei joins host Nichole Niemann to discuss the recent hantavirus cases.

Be sure to watch weekly, as host Nichole Niemann sits down with Dr. Wei to discuss timely health topics.

Dr. Jeanne Wei is a triple-board certified M.D. and Ph.D. She is the Executive Director of the UAMS Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging and the Chair of the Reynolds Department of Geriatrics.

Talk of another pandemic in the news A cruise ship, a virus, and quarantine, are all leading up to talk of another pandemic around hantavirus and UAMS cardiologist, Dr. Jeanne Wei, explains.

Congratulations to all of our graduating medical students on this incredible milestone! We are so proud of your dedication, compassion, and commitment to excellence in patient care.

A special congratulations to recipients of the Donald W. Reynolds Excellence in Geriatrics Award :

Timothy Frerking (UAMS Northwest Campus). Timothy matched into UAMS Northwest Internal Medicine at Mercy Rogers and

Mary Addison Phillips (Little Rock Campus), who matched into Dermatology at UAMS.

Both students exemplified compassionate, patient-centered care and demonstrated how geriatrics training shapes thoughtful physicians across every specialty.

Their reflections highlighted important lessons learned in geriatrics:

• Individualized decision-making for older adults
• Compassionate communication with patients and families
• Understanding the complexity and resilience of aging populations
• Advocacy for vulnerable older adults

Congratulations again to all graduates as you begin the next chapter of your medical journey. Your future patients will be fortunate to have you caring for them.

We also want to sincerely thank our Clerkship Directors, Dr. Elizabeth Eoff and Dr. Shami Nandy, our Education Vice-Chair, Dr. Priya Mendiratta, along with our outstanding Geriatric Clerkship Coordinator, Shikara Allmon, for their tremendous effort and hard work in ensuring the UAMS geriatrics clerkship runs smoothly and successfully.

Have you noticed protein is being added to everything, even popcorn and chips? For more insight, check out this article on Scientific American, which features one of our young researchers at the Reynolds Institute on Aging, Dr. Joseph Matthews:

Are protein-boosted foods and drinks actually more healthy? Extra protein can be found in everything now, from potato chips to Pop-Tarts. Does this benefit the average eater?

Congratulations to Dr. Amy Leigh Overton-McCoy who was recently honored by the Arkansas Center for Nursing at their “Leadership & Legacy” awards April 20th at the Benton Event Center. Dr. Overton-McCoy is the Director of the UAMS Centers on Aging, leading statewide clinical, educational, and community-based initiatives which reach all 75 counties. She continues to demonstrate her decades-long commitment to the care and education of the aging citizens of Arkansas, where she has served as a geriatric nurse practitioner.

National Nurses Week is an annual event held every year from May 6th to 12th, to celebrate and honor the contributions of nurses to healthcare and society. During this time, we recognize our nurses for their hard work and dedication.

Happy Nurses Week to the incredible team at TLLC Clinic! Your unwavering dedication, compassion, and expertise make a world of difference every single day. Thank you for your tireless efforts and for always putting patients first. You're the heartbeat of our clinic, and we're endlessly grateful for everything you do!



Back Row (L-R): Kimberly Hood, LPN; Susan Schaffer, RN; Kenneth McCray, LPN; Joel Darden, LPN; Jennifer High, Clinical Services Manager; Megan Sims, Medical Assistant

Front Row (L-R): Monika Turner, RN; Debbie Brown, RN; Jada King, LPN

Reminder: The ABCs of Dementia workshop is coming up! We hope to see you there!

Celebrating excellence in scholarship and teamwork 👏

Very proud of our fellows Dr Benjamin Frazier, Dr Khadija Khan, and Dr Namrata Dogra for their amazing work and outstanding presentations at the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) 2026 Annual Meeting.

A special congratulations as two of their projects, led by Dr. Khan and Dr. Dogra were selected for the prestigious Presidential Poster Sessions (B027 and B038) 🌟

Abstracts presented:
• A011: Asymptomatic Primary Hyperparathyroidism Revealing Parathyroid Adenoma: Dr. Frazier et al.
• A012: Late-Onset Myasthenia Gravis Presenting with Bulbar and Respiratory Symptoms in an Older Adult : Dr. Frazier et al.
• A153: Fellow-Led QI Education on Falls and Polypharmacy Across Care Settings : Drs. Frazier, Khan, and Dogra et al.
• B027 (Presidential Poster): Recurrent Steroid-Responsive Encephalopathy in a Patient with Long-Standing Sarcoidosis : Dr. Khan et al.
• B038 (Presidential Poster): West Nile Virus Neuroinvasive Disease Accelerating Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer’s Disease : Dr. Dogra et al.

All projects were mentored and co-authored by Dr Priya Mendiratta, Geriatrics fellowship Program Director, et al.

Their work was also showcased locally at the 2026 Research Poster Showcase hosted by the UAMS Women's Faculty Development Caucus (WFDC) at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) on Thursday, April 30, 2026 and also in American geriatrics society on April 29 and April 30.

Congratulations to this incredible education team including fellowship coordinator Ms. Joni Pharis , your dedication, collaboration, and commitment to advancing geriatric care are truly inspiring. Very proud of all of you! 🎉

Our wonderful volunteer, Mrs. Susie Whittington, has such a kind and gentle heart and spirit. She is amazing, and we just love her!

Mrs. Whittington is a retired professional who spent her career at AT&T and running her own successful florist and landscaping business.

Mrs. Whittington is now a spirited advocate of caregivers, providing guidance for those who need it. She has written a book, "Heart of a Caregiver" that shows first-time caregivers how to find strength during difficult times.

Mrs. Whittington urges other aging adults to remain active in the causes they care about.

"You just have to live your life and not your age," she said.

Volunteer Lifts Spirits of Caregivers, Patients at Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging - UAMS News When Susie Whittington stepped into the role of caregiver for an ailing adult son, she initially didn’t realize how challenging and rewarding this new chapter of her life would turn out to be. “When I first started, I didn’t know what to expect,” said Whittington, a patient and volunteer at....

Just a reminder! If you have expired or unused medication, you can bring it to the Reynolds Institute during our Drug Take Back Event tomorrow, April 24th, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.

Our address is 629 Jack Stephens Drive, Little Rock, Arkansas.

Dr. Wei continues the discussion about seniors and depression.

Be sure to watch weekly, as host Nichole Niemann sits down with Dr. Wei to discuss timely health topics.

Dr. Jeanne Wei is a triple-board certified M.D. and Ph.D. She is the Executive Director of the UAMS Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging and the Chair of the Reynolds Department of Geriatrics.

Dr. Jeanne Wei discusses senior depression and essential cardiologist questions UAMS cardiologist Dr. Jeanne Wei continues the conversation about depression among seniors and the unique challenges that can come with aging, from changes in health to shifts in social connection. She also gets to the heart of the matter by sharing eight essential questions everyone should be askin...