Dr. Eldon Schulz: 1954-2018

CoBALT is the brainchild of Dr. Eldon Schulz. We honor and remember his creation of this project on our website. Dr. Schulz was a dedicated leader and a passionate advocate for children and families affected by developmental disabilities. Dr. Eldon Schulz passed away on June 2, 2018. He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Margaret, and their two daughters.

Dr. Schulz built his career on improving the medical care and developmental interventions for children in Arkansas. He received his Bachelor of Science from the University of Idaho, Moscow and his MD from the University of South Dakota. He received his Residency of Pediatrics from the University of California, San Diego and his Developmental/Ambulatory Pediatric Fellowship at the University of Massachusetts Worcester. Dr. Schulz and Margaret moved to Little Rock in 1991, where he became the professor of Developmental Pediatrics at UAMS. During his time at UAMS, he supported numerous programs including the James L. Dennis Developmental Center, CoBALT, LEND, Easter Seals, the State's Human Development Centers, and DHS.

He served as medical director of ACH Rehabilitation Services at Arkansas Children’s Hospital and as the medical officer for Division of ACH Incident Command Center at Arkansas Children's Hospital. He was a founding member of the Bio-Ethics Committee at Arkansas Children’s and most recently served as co-chair. According to a former chair of the committee, Dr. Schulz brought a wise and compassionate perspective to the committee because of his unique background in developmental pediatrics and his gentle, caring manner. Additionally, he was able to help find common ground for solutions to some very difficult ethical situations.

In 2008, he received the Rockefeller Endowed Chair for Children with Special Needs. In 2012, he received the Dr. J & J Seibert Award, recognizing a physician who displays outstanding teamwork. And in 2012 he was inducted into the Medical Honor Society (Faculty Designation) and Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA).

The state of Arkansas and it’s families are better due to the life and work of Dr. Eldon Schulz. He will always be remembered for his vision for our state and the children/families with special health care needs.