Dr. Ben E. Owens Jr., internal medicine physician at
Clopton Clinic, has earned board certification in hospice and palliative care
medicine.
On the medical staff at St. Bernards since 1987, Owens is board certified in the medical subspecialty of
hospice and palliative care medicine by the American Board of Internal
Medicine. In addition, he holds board
certification in internal medicine.
Owens is a longtime Jonesboro resident who earned a
bachelor’s degree in zoology from Arkansas State University and his medical
degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
He served a residency in internal medicine at the
University of Tennessee Affiliated Hospitals in Memphis before returning to
Jonesboro and joining what was then Internal Medicine Associates, a group now
known as Clopton Clinic. He served as president of that group for 10 years.
At St. Bernards Owens has devoted time as a member
of the credentials committee and the executive committee and has been both vice
chief of staff and chief of staff. He has served as medical director for St.
Bernards Home Health and currently is medical director for St. Bernards
Hospice, overseeing care of patients at the new Flo & Phil Jones Hospice
House.
He enjoys teaching and serves as an associate
professor of medicine for UAMS, filling the role of instructor of clinical
rotations in medicine for senior medical students and residents. He also serves
as adjunct faculty at ASU and at the University of Missouri and has developed
two elective courses for pre-med students – physical diagnosis and introduction
to pathology. Owens also serves as adjunct faculty for the Harding University
Physician Assistant Program and has served as a preceptor for and has presented
lectures for nurse practitioner students.
Owens was honored by his fellow physicians in 2010
when he was chosen as the recipient of the Living the Mission Physician Award
at St. Bernards. That award is presented annually to a physician whose service
exemplifies the formal mission of St. Bernards – providing Christ-like healing
to the community through education, treatment and health services.
He is an active member of First United Methodist
Church and its praise band. He serves as director of Skilcare Nursing Home, is
on the advisory board for St. Bernards Hospice, is on the board of Simmons
First Bank and volunteers with the Jonesboro High School cross country team. He
always takes part in providing free physical exams for student athletes at the
HMG Health & Fitness Expo. Owens
also has served on the board of St. Bernards Healthcare Associated Regional
Providers (SHARP), Inc.
A runner himself, he is a certified U.S. Track and
Field official and serves as a starter for the running events for most high
school meets in which Jonesboro participates. He also is certified to start
college running events, having passed tests at a national level and having
shadowed a starter for the required number of meets. He has started meets at
ASU for the last few years.
Clopton Clinic, 800 Carson, Jonesboro, is a
multi-specialty clinic that includes 16 physicians who practice in the
subspecialties of internal medicine, gastroenterology, nephrology, pulmonology
and oncology and hematology.