Dr. Laura Arnold treats young hematology, oncology patients at alma mater

Published on Thursday, August 16, 2018

By: Annie Oeth, aoeth@umc.edu

Editor’s Note: This story was updated Oct. 13, 2021, to update Dr. Arnold’s name from Dr. Laura Newman and the name of the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s of Mississippi.

Pediatric hematologist and oncologist Dr. Laura Arnold may be among new faculty members at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, but she’s a familiar face.

UMMC is the Greenville native’s medical alma mater, and it is where she completed her residency, in 2015, and fellowship, in 2018. She’s now treating patients with blood disorders as well as cancer in the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s of Mississippi.

“I love what I do,” she said. “As long as I can remember, I wanted to be a doctor. Both of my parents were nurses, so I was exposed to the medical field from an early age. Medicine was always my calling. It’s what God wants me to do.”

Arnold specializes in treating patients with blood disorders such as sickle cell anemia, hemophilia and Von Willebrand’s disease as well as cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma and neuroblastoma. She is among 19 new pediatric faculty members joining UMMC this year, and one of eight hematologists seeing pediatric patients.

Arnold has honed her skills through time spent during her UMMC fellowship working with hematologists who specialize in bleeding disorders at Children’s Medical Center of Dallas and at Children’s of Alabama in Birmingham.

“I am excited to be able to use what I’ve learned at other institutions and offer comprehensive care for Mississippi patients with bleeding disorders, such as hemophilia,” Arnold said.

Treating hematology and oncology patients at Children’s of Mississippi is exciting, she said. “There is lots of joy in my job, and I love taking care of these kids.”

Survival rates for certain types of pediatric leukemia at Children’s of Mississippi, she said, are above 90 percent. “We get to cure a lot of kids, and we get to know the families so well.”

Children’s of Mississippi is the only pediatric hospital in the state, which, she said, makes care there unique and specialized.

“There is no place in the state like Children’s of Mississippi,” Arnold said. “When you come here, everything is geared toward children. All the physicians, nurses and technicians are experts in pediatric care. We offer the kind of care I would want for my own children.”

Dr. Anderson Collier, director of the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, said Arnold was a valued care team member during her fellowship in hematology and oncology.

“Dr. Arnold’s insight and medical skills make her an excellent addition to our faculty,” said Collier, “and her caring and compassion make her the kind of doctor any family would want for their child. We’re happy to see her continue her medical career at UMMC.”

Dr. Mary Taylor, Suzan B. Thames Chair and professor of pediatrics, also a UMMC alumna, said she takes great pride in seeing School of Medicine graduates join the faculty.

“Seeing our students come back to UMMC to teach, conduct research and care for patients affirms our mission and confirms the quality of the medical instruction here,” she said.