Rex Jones, left, and Mellie Bridewell
Magnolia Regional Medical Center CEO Rex Jones has agreed to take the same position at the nonprofit Arkansas Rural Health Partnership.
Jones takes over on May 1. He will succeed Mellie Bridewell, who founded the organization in 2008 and is shifting to a role as its president. Her focus will be on strategic growth initiatives, the nonprofit said in a news release.
Jones is a hospital administrator of 25 years who serves on the Arkansas Rural Health board. He has led Magnolia Regional since 2016.
The medical center said that under his leadership, it has become more financially stable, constructed a clinic to handle hospital overflow patients and brought full-time orthopedic surgery services to Magnolia. It also changed from city to nonprofit ownership.
As CEO of Arkansas Rural Health, he’ll be working with UAMS on initiatives to improve health care access and delivery in rural areas of the state. The group has 14 hospital members, including Magnolia Regional, and partners with more than 90 clinics.
The partnership’s growth in recent years has led to organizational restructuring, which includes the addition of the president position that Bridewell will assume. The nonprofit has also hired Frazier Edwards as vice president of strategic partnerships and business development.
“The Arkansas Rural Health Partnership has seen tremendous growth over the years, and under Bridewell’s leadership, we continue to add greater value to the rural health providers within this partnership,” Brian Thomas, chairman of the organization’s board of directors, said in the release.
“On behalf of myself and my fellow board members, we are pleased to see the addition of Rex Jones and his leadership to the team. Together, he and Mellie will lead this great organization to new heights.”
Jones is working with Magnolia Regional’s Board of Trustees to find his replacement.
“I am really excited to work with Mellie, the ARHP and UAMS as we collaborate on a strategy to assist rural hospitals across Arkansas,” he said. “I appreciate UAMS and their forward vision to include people with rural hospital experience in the development of their strategy to assist rural hospitals and enable them to care for patients in their communities.”
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