UAMS Medical Center is Arkansas' only academic medical center, a teaching hospital that embodies the central missions of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences: teaching, healing searching, serving. A teaching hospital not only treats patients but participates in the education of doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals. Being cared for in a teaching hospital offers many advantages. UAMS Medical Center is able to attract the best specialists to its staff, doctors carefully selected for their exceptional knowledge and skills.

Over the course of their stay in UAMS Medical Center, a patient may see a number of highly trained people dedicated to the delivery and management of their care. These individuals are organized into patient management teams. In addition to physicians and a registered nurse (RN), the management team may include a physical therapist, dietitian, occupational therapist, social worker, speech therapist, pharmacist, and a respiratory therapist.

The physicians and nurses all have titles that correspond with their assigned duties. Here’s an explanation of what these titles mean:

• An attending physician is a UAMS staff doctor who is responsible for the patient’s overall treatment. The attending physician is board-certified in a specialty or sub-specialty and is responsible for the training and education of the residents and medical students, as well as advancing the field of medicine through their research interests.
• A resident physician is under the supervision of the attending physician. These doctors are in the hospital around the clock, in case any urgent problem arises, and they are always available. Residents have their medical degree and are in post-graduate training to become board certified in a specialty field.
• A junior or senior medical student may also be involved in treating patients. Medical students always work under close supervision and do not make independent decisions about diagnosis or treatment.

 Other team members who are directly assisting and supporting patient care are:

• Patient Care Technicians (PCT) – These team members deliver specified treatments and assist in specialized care needs under the direction of a registered nurse.
• Patient Services Coordinators (PSC) – These team members provide the clerical duties necessary to support the patient management team, serve as the unit receptionist, and assist in the clerical aspects of the patient's admission and discharge from the hospital.
• Registered Nurses (RN) - As team leaders, RNs coordinate the activities of the patient care technicians and patient services coordinators. RNs are available 24 hours per day, seven days a week, to patients and their families. They lead the patient management team and make sure that the care the patient receives is delivered in an effective, efficient, and compassionate manner.
• Care Delivery Facilitators (CDF) – These members are senior-level nurses who have responsibilities for multiple units. Available on a 24-hour, seven day a week basis, care delivery facilitators are an additional resource for patients and family members.
• Clinical Services Manager (CSM) – Formerly known as the head nurse manager, this manager has 24-hour responsibility for the supervision of all unit-based staff and provides shift-to-shift direction and support to all patient management team members.