Fowler Family Backs New NEA Baptist Fund to Recruit Physicians

NEA Physician Fund donors and NEA Baptist leadership (Photo provided)

NEA Baptist has launched a new campaign, The Chris and Jamie Fowler Family Physician Recruitment Fund, through the NEA Baptist Charitable Foundation to recruit specialty physicians to northeast Arkansas.

Chris and Jamie Fowler contributed $5.6 million to start the fund, which has grown to $10 million as a result of pledges from Haag Brown, First National Bank, Danny and Gail Ford, and Marian and Andy Peeler.

The fund is the first of its kind in Arkansas and will offer full medical school tuition reimbursement to physicians in strategic medical specialties that are critical for the area.

NEA Baptist has added 70 physicians to its medical staff since 2015, with 14 being graduates of the NEA Baptist Internal Medicine Residency Program. NEA Baptist Clinic has more than 500,000 visits a year with an increase expected as construction of a primary care clinic in Manila begins this summer.

A press release from NEA Baptist said that the Association of American Medical Colleges predicts the United States will face a physician shortage of up to 86,000 physicians by 2036, with the greatest shortage occurring in the South and West. The Robert Graham Center has projected Arkansas primary care providers will experience an increase in demand because of aging, population growth and increased access to insurance.

“The Chris and Jamie Fowler Family Physician Recruitment Fund is so important, especially now as the need for doctors across the country becomes greater and greater,” Chris Fowler said in the press release. “Jamie and I felt the physician recruitment fund would give northeast Arkansas and NEA Baptist a competitive edge in recruiting physicians, especially in specialty areas. If we can get these doctors to visit Jonesboro, they will fall in love with the community and put down roots while offering medical care that is greatly needed in our area.”

The Fowlers have previously lent their support to multiple programs at NEA Baptist, including a mobile health unit.

“Chris and Jamie’s vision is only bested by their action,” Sam Lynd, administrator and CEO of NEA Baptist, said in the release. “With their lead and the support of many investors within our community, NEA Baptist has a unique opportunity to make northeast Arkansas stand out as a destination for medical professionals in a more meaningful way than ever before.”