The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has formed another partnership – this time with Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Pine Bluff – to expand healthcare access in Pine Bluff and deeper into southeast Arkansas, the organizations announced Monday (Aug. 3). Formally, the University of Arkansas, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, and Jefferson Hospital Association finalized a “membership substitution agreement,” that will make the UA board of trustees a corporate member of Jefferson Regional’s parent corporation, Jefferson Hospital Association, Inc. Jefferson Regional and UAMS have a long relationship that dates back to 1972, when UAMS established its first residency program on the Jefferson Regional campus. As one of the largest employers in Jefferson County, Jefferson Regional serves a primary and secondary market of approximately 225,000 residents across 11 counties in southeast Arkansas. Jefferson Regional is also home to the Jefferson Regional Jones-Dunklin Cancer Center, a comprehensive cancer center providing cancer care on the main campus in Pine Bluff.