UAMS Hires Two Radiation Oncologists for Cancer Care Expansion

Two new physicians have joined the radiation oncology department at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Hershel Garner, M.D., J.D., and Uwajah Uzomah, M.D., MPH, began seeing patients at the UAMS Health Radiation Oncology Center in Little Rock this week.

Garner takes on the role of associate professor and will serve as interim chair for the UAMS College of Medicine Department of Radiation Oncology. Uzomah joins as an assistant professor. Ronald Robertson, M.D., dean of the UAMS College of Medicine, stated that the additions will help expand access to advanced treatments, specifically proton therapy.

Garner has practiced in Arkansas for more than 30 years. He previously worked in Northwest Arkansas with Northwest Arkansas Radiation Oncology Associates and Highlands Oncology Group. He first joined UAMS as an assistant professor in 2015 before returning to Northwest Arkansas in 2017. Garner earned his medical degree at UAMS and his law degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law. He completed his residency at the University of Louisville. Garner said he looks forward to guiding the department's growth in advanced treatment technologies and multidisciplinary collaboration.

Uzomah specializes in treating genitourinary malignancies, central nervous system malignancies, and sarcomas. He earned his medical degree from the University of Ibadan in Nigeria and a master’s in public health from the Harvard University Chan School of Public Health. He completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, followed by residency training at the University of Iowa. His research focuses on improving radiation therapy effects while reducing side effects. Uzomah holds certifications from the American Board of Radiology in radiation biology and radiation physics. He expressed happiness at joining a collaborative cancer program dedicated to advancing care for Arkansans.

Both physicians are currently accepting new patients at the Radiation Oncology Center. Appointments can be made by calling 501-664-4568.

UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university and includes UAMS Health, a statewide system with hospitals in Little Rock and Bryant. The institution has approximately 12,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians.

The addition of Garner and Uzomah increases the number of board-certified radiation oncologists available at the Little Rock campus. The department will continue to operate out of the UAMS Health Radiation Oncology Center.