C. Lowry Barnes Named as UAMS Chancellor

Dr. C. Lowry Barnes, UAMS Chancellor (Karen E. Segrave)

The Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas on Thursday approved the selection of Dr. C. Lowry Barnes as the next chancellor of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), the state’s only academic health sciences center.

Barnes, founding director of The Orthopaedic & Spine Hospital at UAMS, is a professor and the chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. He became interim chancellor of UAMS in July and was selected as one of four finalists in a national search for the position in December.

The UA Board approved University of Arkansas System President Jay B. Silveria’s recommendation of Barnes during a specially called meeting on Thursday held virtually and in-person at the UA System – Cammack Campus.

Barnes told Arkansas Business in October that he had applied to be the permanent chancellor because he wants to make a difference.

“Dr. Barnes’ distinguished career and service to UAMS and the health profession have earned him the respect and admiration of many people in this state and nationally, and certainly within the ranks at our state’s only academic medical center,” Silveria said in a press release. “He is driven by a sincere desire to see UAMS succeed and ultimately to make a positive difference for health care across our state.”

Barnes said in the release that he is excited about being a part of “significant growth and transformation” planned for the institution.

“This begins with a modification in culture so that UAMS becomes known for exceptional hospitality and service as we put patients, families and guests first in everything we do,” Barnes said in the press release. “I am humbled by this opportunity to work with President Silveria, the Board of Trustees and the entire UAMS family to improve health and health care delivery across our state through clinical care, discovery and education.”

Barnes succeeds Cam Patterson, who served as chancellor for seven years before announcing he was stepping down in June for medical and personal reasons.

Barnes’ Background

Barnes is a fellowship-trained, board-certified orthopaedic surgeon specializing in joint reconstruction and replacement surgery of the hip and knee.

He joined UAMS in 2014 as professor and chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. In 2017, he was invested in the Carl L. Nelson, M.D. Distinguished Chair in Orthopaedic Surgery.

He also serves as the director of the Musculoskeletal Service Line at UAMS Health. Barnes is founding director of The Orthopaedic & Spine Hospital at UAMS, a hospital located on UAMS’ Little Rock campus that brings orthopaedic, spine and pain experts together under one roof to provide the best possible care focused on achieving the best possible results. The Orthopaedic and Spine Hospital opened in 2023.

The press release stated Barnes is “widely recognized as one of the foremost joint replacement experts in the world.” He has made substantial contributions to research focused on the hip and knee, having published more than 350 peer-reviewed articles. He lectures nationally and internationally on total joint replacement surgery and holds seven patents for orthopaedic surgery devices and implants.

After graduating with honors from the UAMS College of Medicine, Barnes remained at UAMS for his internship and residency in orthopaedic surgery. He completed an Adult Reconstructive Surgery and Arthritis Surgery Fellowship at Brigham & Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School in Boston.

He was then selected to participate in the prestigious John N. Insall Traveling Fellowship as well as an AO/ASIF (Association for the Study of Internal Fixation) Adult Orthopaedic Fellowship at Inselspital in Bern, Switzerland.

Barnes went into practice as a joint replacement surgeon at Arkansas Specialty Orthopaedics, later becoming its president and managing partner for more than a decade.

He’s held numerous leadership roles in professional societies, including serving as the president of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons. He has also served as president of the Society for Arthritic Joint Surgery, the Mid-America Orthopaedic Association, the Southern Orthopaedic Association and the Arkansas Orthopaedic Society.

Barnes is actively involved in the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons and the International Society for Technology in Arthroplasty. He is also a member of the Knee Society and Hip Society and serves on the editorial boards of many scientific journals.

“I look forward to working with him to set UAMS on a strategic path to long-term success in each of its core mission areas of education, research and patient care,” Silveria said in the release.