Dr. Steven F. Collier

In 2002, Dr. Steven F. Collier hung up his stethoscope to run White River Rural Health Center in Augusta.

Collier, a general practitioner, had worked at the Augusta Medical Clinic since 1981. But in 2002, he said it was time for a change, and he wanted the challenge of being the CEO.

Collier runs the nonprofit center that has offices in 15 cities in northeast Arkansas and provides health care to people who can’t afford it.

“We’re fighting that war on poverty every day,” Collier said. “My job is to be sure that we continue to do that.”

The clinics serve nearly 40,000 people a year in a geographic region that has 300,000 people without health insurance. Collier said the clinic’s goal is to serve 100,000 people in five years.

“We take all comers regardless of their ability to pay,” Collier said.

The budget for the organization, which has 160 employees, is around $11.5 million.

Under Collier’s leadership, the health center has partnered with Woodruff County Nursing Home to build an $8.5 million nursing facility, expected to open in June.

Collier also said he’s proud of the services the center offers, which range from primary care to obstetrics.

He said the secret to his success is that he runs the center as if it were a for-profit business. And hiring the most talented people to work at WRRHC also helps with the success, Collier said.

“We are always looking for ways to improve,” Collier said.

Away from WRRHC, Collier serves on the boards of Baptist Health and the Bank of Augusta. He also is the chairman of the board of directors for Woodruff County Nursing Home.

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