Dr. James Atkins Named One of Arkansas Business’ 40 Under 40
June 16th, 2026 by Submitted
James Atkins
39
Pediatrician & Owner
SEARK Children’s Clinic
Monticello
Professional achievements
- American Board of Pediatrics, board-certified pediatrician.
- Chief of staff, Baptist Health Drew County.
Community involvement
Board member, SEARK Concert Association; board member, Arkansas chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics; member, First United Methodist Church Monticello; Little League baseball coach.
Most fulfilling career moment
“Building a medical practice from the ground up and watching it grow into something the community genuinely trusts. Success in medicine isn’t just measured in revenue or patient volume — it’s measured in whether people choose you, return to you and send their neighbors to you. Earning that kind of trust, steadily, over time, is the achievement I’m most proud of.”
First job and lesson learned
“My first job was working at my uncle’s discount furniture store in fifth grade. I did whatever needed to be done — assembling furniture, cleaning, stocking, etc. I worked afternoons after school, and I wasn’t there because someone made me. I was there because I wanted a new saddle for horseback riding; I had to earn it myself. That job taught me early that if you want something in life, you have to earn it.”
Top challenge facing Arkansas
“The greatest challenge facing Arkansas — particularly rural Arkansas — is a cycle that’s very hard to break. We lack high-paying jobs, which makes it difficult to attract and retain people. Without people, we can’t sustain the childcare and healthcare infrastructure that families need. And without that infrastructure, we can’t attract the people or the businesses that bring better jobs. It feeds itself. Until we find ways to interrupt that cycle — whether through economic development, healthcare investment or childcare solutions — rural Arkansas will continue to lose ground.”
Hardest thing you’ve ever done
“Building a clinic from the ground up and starting a medical practice from scratch — without question. It’s one thing to become a physician. It’s another to construct the building, hire the team, build the patient base, and keep it all running while also seeing patients every day. No one prepares you for that. It tested me in ways medical school never did.”
What’s a book everyone should read and why?
“I’d recommend two books together: ‘The Great Influenza’ and ‘Booster Shots.’ One covers the deadliest pandemic in modern history, the other the history of measles and vaccines. Together, they show how far public health has come and why it matters. As a pediatrician, I believe every parent should understand that history — vaccines didn’t come from nowhere. They came from watching generations of children suffer from diseases we now have the power to prevent.”
Career passion
“As a pediatrician, I am most passionate about watching my patients grow, develop and thrive over time.”
Most valuable lesson learned
“The most valuable lesson I’ve learned is that life doesn’t always go according to plan and the sooner you accept that, the better off you are. In medicine, in business, in life, things go sideways. What separates people isn’t whether adversity finds them. It’s how they respond when it does. You adapt, you keep moving, and you don’t waste too much time being surprised that things got hard.”
Where you see yourself in 10 years
“Ten years from now, my goal is simple: still be here, still be serving the children of southeast Arkansas — but with a bigger team and broader services. Southeast Arkansas is truly a resource-limited area, and there’s real unmet need. I want SEARK Children’s Clinic to be the answer to more of it.”
Learning from a mentor
“My mentor is Jesus Christ. The lessons He taught about humility and how we treat others have guided me both personally and professionally. In medicine, those two things matter more than most people realize. You can be the most skilled physician in the room, but if you’re not humble and if you don’t genuinely care about the person in front of you, you’re missing the point.”
Career dream as a child
“Astronaut.”
Making Arkansas more attractive to young professionals
“For rural Arkansas specifically, attracting young professionals comes down to three things: healthcare, childcare and quality of life. Young families won’t put down roots where they can’t find a pediatrician or a reliable daycare. Those are nonnegotiables.
But once the basics are covered, people also want to live somewhere they enjoy — fitness centers, entertainment, things to do on a weekend. Rural communities that invest in all three stop being places people leave and start being places people choose.”
Best thing about Arkansas
“There’s a friendliness and sense of community here that feels increasingly rare — and a natural beauty that lives up to our nickname.”
Advice for your 18-year-old self
“Slow down — adulthood is not going anywhere, and it is not as glamorous as it looks. I’d tell my 18-year-old self to spend less time chasing the future and more time being present with the people who matter. Family dinners, late nights with friends, unhurried weekends — those things get harder to come by. Enjoy them while they’re easy.”
How you define success
“Success, to me, means building something from the ground up that people genuinely trust. In medicine, that looks like delivering such consistent, quality care that families choose to come to us — and then tell their neighbors to do the same. When a patient is referred to you by someone you’ve already cared for, that’s the clearest signal that you’ve earned your place in the community.”
One word to describe you
“Invested.”
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