DeLona Williams of Cabot was vacationing with her family in Florida when she took a hard fall and suffered a fractured patella, or broken kneecap. There were a number of excellent medical facilities close by, but DeLona and her husband, Eddie Joe Williams, who was out of the country at the time, decided that UAMS—back home in Little Rock—was the only place they wanted to go to get treatment. “We had a choice,” said Eddie Joe, “and we chose UAMS.”

(from left to right) Eddie Joe Williams, DeLona Williams, and Dr. Regis Renard

After arriving in the ER, orthopaedic trauma surgeon, Dr. Regis Renard, quickly determined that DeLona’s patellar fracture required surgery in order to restore and stabilize the kneecap and allow for the return of function. The surgery was a success, and although it was a long car ride home from Florida on the road to soon-to-be recovery, the combination of specialized expertise and exceptional care at UAMS – University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences was worth traveling the distance.