Stacie M. Jones, M.D., is Professor and Chief of Allergy and Immunology and Interim Chief of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH). Dr. Jones holds the Dr. and Mrs. Leeman H. King Endowed Chair in Pediatric Allergy. She is a board-certified Specialist in Pediatrics and Allergy and Immunology, and currently serves as Director of the Food Allergy Program and Co-Director of the Lung Cell Biology Laboratory at the Arkansas Children’s Research Institute.
Dr. Jones received her medical degree from UAMS. Following her pediatric residency at UAMS and ACH, she completed a Fellowship in Allergy and Immunology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Jones is currently an active member of the American Pediatric Society, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Southern Society for Pediatric Research. Dr. Jones is also a member of the editorial board for the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and serves on the research advisory board for the Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) organization.
Her research focuses on both clinical and translational investigation of food allergy, eosinophilic esophagitis and asthma. Dr. Jones is the lead investigator at ACRI for the both the NIH-funded Consortium for Food Allergy Research (CoFAR) and the NIH-funded Immune Tolerance Network IMPACT Trial and is involved in multiple food allergy therapeutic trials through an active collaborative research network. Dr. Jones also has a long-standing research interest in mechanisms of airway hyperresponsiveness in asthma and, along with her collaborators, is actively investigating these questions in human tissue platforms.
Julissa Buchmann, M.D., is an Assistant Professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and an attending physician in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH). She is board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics as a Specialist in Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition.
Dr. Buchmann received her medical degree from the Universidad Central de Venezuela, and graduated Magna Cum Laude. She completed her internship, residency, and a year as Chief Resident in Pediatrics at The Long Island College Hospital affiliate of SUNY (State University of New York) Health Science Center at Brooklyn, NY. She completed a clinical and research fellowship in Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee. Dr. Buchmann is currently an active member of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition (NASPGHAN).
Dr. Buchmann’s research experience focuses on the role of non-pathological levels of Tumor Necrosis Factor in mucosal healing and repair, and on the role of SMAD pathway in Intestinal Polyposis Syndrome. She conducted a prospective study examining the diagnosis and treatment of feeding disorders in children with developmental disabilities. She also studied the application of Continuous Quality Improvement to Nutritional Cystic Fibrosis Care. This led to the development and implementation of a Nutrition Pathway for the ACH Cystic Fibrosis Care Center.
Dr. Buchmann’s clinical interests include all aspects of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, with particular interest in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Eosinophilic Esophagitis, and Intestinal Polyposis Syndrome. Currently she has been working on quality improvement initiatives in pediatric endoscopy. Her main goal is to identify opportunities for improvement that will result in a higher level of patient and family satisfaction with their endoscopic procedure experience. She is fluent in Spanish.
Jessica Carnathan, APRN, is an advanced practice registered Nurse in the Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition clinic at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH). She is also co-Principal Investigator for Improve Care Now.
Jessica received her bachelor of nursing science degree at the University of Central Arkansas and her masters of nursing science advanced practice degree at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She joined Arkansas Children’s Hospital in 2006 as a Registered Nurse in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and joined the faculty at UAMS in 2011 as an Advanced Practice Nurse with the division of Gastroenterology.
Jessica treats patients with gastrointestinal disorders including abdominal pain, reflux, constipation, diarrhea, and inflammatory bowel disease.
Victoria N. Renk, APRN, is a Certified Family Nurse Practitioner through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and her Masters of Science in Nursing at Walden University.
She has been employed by Arkansas Children’s Hospital most of her Registered Nursing career, working in the acute care and intensive care settings. She recently transitioned to the Gastroenterology Department as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse taking care of the inpatient pediatric gastroenterology patients. She is working to focus her practice on hepatology. She is passionate about health promotion and prevention. Her previous research has been focused on childhood obesity and neonatal feeding issues.
In her spare time, she loves to hang out with her friends and family, workout, snowboard and shop.
Christina Tootle, APRN, is a board certified Advanced Practice Registered Nurse with the Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition section at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. She received her Associate of Science Degree in Nursing at Louisiana Tech University in 2005 and her Bachelors of Science in Nursing in 2010 from the University of Arkansas Little Rock. She completed her Masters of Science degree in Nursing in 2014 at the University of South Alabama.
Christina has over twelve years of nursing experience in both inpatient and school based settings. She has been a practicing Advanced Practice Nurse since 2015. She has been working in the Gastroenterology clinic since 2016. She treats patients with a variety of gastrointestinal disorders including abdominal pain, reflux, constipation, and eosinophilic esophagitis. Her current interest is in eosinophilic esophagitis.
