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Public Profile

Debra Simmons, MD
Debra Simmons, MD

    Dr. Debra Lynn Simmons is an endocrinologist and director of the endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism training program in the division of endocrinology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Medical Center and Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHS). She is also an associate professor of medicine at UAMS and director of the UAMS Arkansas Diabetes Program.

    Dr. Simmons is board certified in internal medicine and in the subspecialty of endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism and is a diplomate of the American Board of Clinical Lipidology. In addition to her medical degree from Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, Texas, she holds a master's degree in nutritional biochemistry from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. She served her internship and residency at Indiana University Medical Center in Indianapolis, and went on to complete her fellowship in endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism at the University of California, San Diego with training in lipid metabolism. 

    Dr. Simmons' professional appointments include co-director of the Lipid Research Clinic in La Jolla, California from 1985-1988, endocrinologist at the large multispecialty group, Sharp Rees-Stealy, in San Diego from 1988-1994, private practice endocrinologist in Fort Worth, Texas from 1994-1996.  She held faculty appointments at University of California, San Diego from 1989 to 1994. In 1997, she joined the faculty at UAMS and CAVHS. She was an assistant professor of medicine until July 2003 when she was promoted to associate professor of medicine with tenure.

    Dr. Simmons' interests are diabetes, lipids and education. In addition to caring for people with diabetes, she also participates in clinical trials to find the best treatments for diabetes and teaches other healthcare professionals from students to practicing physicians. She is the principle investigator at the CAVHS site for the NIH funded clinical trials, Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) and Atherothrombosis Intervention in Metabolic Syndrome with Low HDL/High Triglyceride and Impact on Global Health Outcomes (AIMHIGH). ACCORD will determine if cardiovascular disease is reduced in type 2 diabetes by normal glucose control. AIMHIGH will determine if cardiovascular disease is reduced by control of triglycerides in addition to LDL cholesterol. She is active in medical education and is honored to win the Claiborne Watkins Award for teaching in Introduction to Clinical Medicine I in 2003 and the UAMS COM Education Research Award in 2006 for her work on patient-centered interviewing. She is also honored to serve nationally for the National Board of Medical Examiners, Association of Subspecialty Professors Education Committee and as President of the Association of Program Directors in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism from 2005 to 2007.

    Schedule29 Mar 2024