Leadership

Dr. Lanita White was hired as director of the center in July 2012. She graduated with her Pharm.D. degree from Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans in 2006 and was a part of the first graduating pharmacy class from Xavier University after Hurricane Katrina.  After graduation, Dr. White completed a PGY1 Pharmacy Practice Residency and a PGY2 Ambulatory Care Specialty Residency at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System.  Before coming to UAMS, she served as the clinical pharmacist in the Diabetes and Endocrinology Clinic at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System in Little Rock and Clinical Assistant Professor at the UAMS College of Pharmacy from 2008 to July 2012.  Along with her clinical duties at the VA, she served as the Residency Program Director for the PGY2 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Residency and was member of the Residency Committee and the Residency Research Committee.  She also served as a member of the Performance Measures and the Employee Satisfaction Committee.

Dr. White is a member of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, the American College of Clinical Pharmacy, American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, a board member of the Arkansas Pharmacists Association, the current President of the Arkansas Association of Health-System Pharmacists and a member of the Arkansas College of Clinical Pharmacy.  She has been active in the AAHP since her residency and has served as a member of the Fall Seminar committee member and as the Fall Seminar co-chair for 3 years.  She is also responsible for the creation AAHP Pharmacy Residency Council whose mission is to expand thenumber of and support the pharmacy residency programs across the state.  She also served as a member of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists national taskforce on organizational structure.

She is assisted by the Student Board of Directors, Community Advisory Board, and Professional Advisory Board.

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Billy Thomas, M.D., M.P.H., is Medical Director of the 12th Street Health and Wellness Center. He is a Neonatologist at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and serves as the Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion in the Center for Diversity Affairs (CDA).

Dr. Thomas earned his Medical Degree at UAMS in 1980.  He completed his internship and residency training in Pediatrics at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences/Arkansas Children’s Hospital.  He subsequently completed a fellowship in Neonatal/Perinatal medicine at Case Western Reserve/Metropolitan General Hospital and later received a Master’s in Public Health from the Tulane School of Public Health.

Dr. Thomas combines an active clinical practice with his administrative duties as Vice Chancellor of the Center for Diversity Affairs. His clinical service is primarily inpatient and focuses on the care of critically ill neonates. In addition to his clinical responsibilities he teaches and mentors not only students and residents but also junior faculty.

As Vice Chancellor of the Center for Diversity Affairs he is involved with all aspects of the Center which includes recruitment and retention of minority students and the development of academic enrichment programs for students from K to the undergraduate level. The overall goal of ALL programs is the reduction of health care disparities through the development of a diverse health care workforce.