Dr. Janna Jennings – 16 in 2016

Pediatrician, Health Within Reach
Longtime Saline County Resident

Dr. Janna Jennings is a Saline county native who was born at Saline Memorial Hospital, graduated Benton High School in 1988, and is now a pediatrician. Her love for the community shines through her daily interactions with patients and their parents, where she approaches their encounters with generosity of care, time, devotion and expertise. While in her presence, no one is a stranger and every one quickly becomes a friend.

Janna graduated medical school from University of Arkansas Medical Sciences in Little Rock in 2000. Afterwards, she completed a pediatric residency at the University of Oklahoma in 2003, and then returned to Arkansas after her husband, Bryan, finished his radiology studies in 2006.

Currently, Janna is in the process of opening a new clinic named Health Within Reach, which will serve children in Saline County with autism and ADHD. The premise behind this clinic is to provide a place for children to receive functional medical care as well as education on healthy lifestyle options to help overcome autism and ADHD. “This clinic is being opened to help take the pressure off of some of the other clinics in central Arkansas that have significantly long wait lists for appointments,” shares Janna. Through word of mouth, there is already a wait list for Health Within Reach, which is expected to open in early January 2016.

Janna’s approach to patient care has been shaped by her personal experiences, and is committed to advancing her knowledge of autism through in-depth research and literature analysis. Janna is quick to share that one of the top priorities of Health Within Reach is to “see significant progress made in the lives of children with severe developmental disorders. I want to make their lives easier and keep them from suffering. Because when a child is undiagnosed and untreated, there is a significant amount of suffering that takes place that doesn’t have to. Kids are so special, and it is a joy to see them transform to healthy and happy.”

Janna volunteered to study under Dr. Richard Frye at the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Autism Specialty Clinic where she has learned about biomedical treatments for children with autism spectrum disorder. While there, she learned about mitochondrial dysfunction, how that effects patients and how a correct diagnosis can lead to quicker treatment and less suffering. Janna is quick to share that “significant progress can be made in the lives of patients. My ultimate goal is to see patients diagnosed correctly and then fully recover.”