UAMS will begin airing a new collection of commercials and print advertisements in early July.  The ads, which are available for viewing on the UAMS Web site, feature UAMS employees as well as a patient testimonial.

"We think we've done a good job letting people in Arkansas know about our missions, emphasizing technology and cutting-edge research as well as our excellent specialty care and statewide educational programs. It is time to show the soul of UAMS, which is found in our people. With these new messages, we are literally putting a real face on UAMS," said Tim Irby, director of marketing in the Office of Communications and Marketing.

Done completely in-house for the first time, the new "I Am" ads were a joint production of Communications and Marketing and Creative Services.  The fact that they are written and produced internally means we can feature more employees, patients, supporters, etc., as new stories develop, Irby said. These messages connect with earlier messages that began with phrases such as: " I am searching for tomorrows cures…I am building a healthier state… I am the foundation and future of health care…I am turning research into cures."

"UAMS has often been known as 'high tech' but we are 'high touch' too," Irby said. "We want to show Arkansas the people who make UAMS special.  Our employees feel a commitment that has always made me proud. You can see it in their faces. I think everyone should see what I see here every day."

Vice Chancellor for Communications and Marketing Pat Torvestad said the new ads "capture the unique spirit of UAMS. If you work here, you see kindness, compassion and dedication to excellence.  With the help of this new campaign, we not only help others see these qualities but also help our own folks know we appreciate them."

Rowena Garcia, a nurse manager on 3A and 3C, is featured in one of the spots. "I never thought I'd get an opportunity to project a positive image for UAMS. I’m so pleased and so very excited," Garcia said.

Also featured in the first series are Dr. Marilyn Marshall of the AHEC South Arkansas, Dr. Kathryn Neill of the College of Pharmacy, Dr. John Shaughnessy of the Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy and Greg Gilliland, the recipient of the first liver transplant ever performed at UAMS.