Chad S. Aduddell, 43
Market CEO
CHI St. Vincent, Little Rock
In 2015, Chad Aduddell became market chief executive officer at CHI St. Vincent, which has hospitals in Hot Springs, Little Rock, Morrilton and Sherwood. Aduddell came to CHI St. Vincent in 2012 and was executive vice president and chief operating officer of CHI St. Vincent and president of CHI St. Vincent Infirmary in Little Rock. CHI’s flagship hospital in Little Rock reported $358.8 million in net patient revenue for its fiscal year that ended June 30, which was the fourth-highest amount in the state. CHI St. Vincent is affiliated with Catholic Health Initiatives, a nonprofit health system with headquarters in Englewood, Colorado. Before joining CHI, Aduddell was the president of the Bone & Joint Hospital and chair and administrator of the Saints Cardiovascular Institute at St. Anthony Hospital in Oklahoma City. He received his MBA in health care administration from the Meinders School of Business at Oklahoma City University.
Dr. Greg Bledsoe, 42
Arkansas Surgeon General
Director of Clinical Innovation
Arkansas Heart Hospital, Little Rock
In January 2015, Dr. Bledsoe was appointed by Gov. Asa Hutchinson to be the surgeon general of Arkansas. As surgeon general, Bledsoe shapes policies to improve the health of Arkansans and serves as a cabinet-level adviser to the governor. Bledsoe also is the director of clinical innovation at Arkansas Heart Hospital in Little Rock. He has been an instructor and medical consultant for the U.S. Secret Service and was the personal physician to former President Bill Clinton during his tour of Africa in September 2002. Bledsoe is a board-certified emergency medicine physician and a graduate of both the College of Medicine and the Emergency Medicine residency program at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
Marcy Doderer, 48
President and CEO
Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Little Rock
In 2013, Marcy Doderer became the president and CEO of Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock. Arkansas Children’s Hospital is the only pediatric medical center in Arkansas. The hospital has 359 licensed beds and reported $471.6 million in net patient revenue for its fiscal year that ended June 30, which was the second-highest amount in the state. ACH also has a staff of about 500 physicians, 95 residents in pediatrics and pediatric specialties and more than 4,100 employees. In August, the hospital announced its plans for a statewide network of care and a campus in Springdale, which will be called Arkansas Children’s Northwest and is expected to open in January 2018. Before joining ACH, Doderer was the vice president and administrator of the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio, part of the Christus Santa Rosa Health System. Doderer has a bachelor’s degree in finance from Trinity University at San Antonio and a master’s in hospital and health administration from the University of Iowa.
Cindy Gillespie, 58
Director
Arkansas Department of Human Services, Little Rock
On March 1, Cindy Gillespie became the director of the Arkansas Department of Human Services. Gillespie serves as a member of Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s cabinet. She replaced John Selig, who announced in 2015 that he would leave the position. DHS is the state’s largest department in the executive branch of state government, with more than 7,500 employees and an annual budget of $8.3 billion. It serves more than 1.2 million Arkansans annually through its programs and private providers. Before joining DHS, Gillespie was a principal in the Washington office of the law firm Denton, serving in its public policy and regulation practice, and was a leader of the firm’s health policy and health insurance exchange teams. She also was a health care adviser to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and played a key role in the development of Massachusetts health reforms. She is a graduate of Trevecca Nazarene College (now University) in Nashville and has a master’s from Auburn University in Alabama.
Dr. Dan Rahn, 66
Chancellor
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock
In 2009, Dr. Dan Rahn became the fourth chancellor of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Arkansas’ only academic health sciences center. It has patient care, education and research facilities across the state. UAMS is the state’s largest public employer with more than 10,000 employees. Before joining UAMS, Rahn was the president of the Medical College of Georgia and the senior vice chancellor for health and medical programs for the University System of Georgia. Rahn also had worked at Yale University School of Medicine, where he was director of the Lyme disease program, director of clinical training in rheumatology and director of faculty practice for the Department of Internal Medicine.
Dr. Nathaniel Smith, 51
Director of Health and State Health Officer
Arkansas Department of Health, Little Rock
Dr. Nathaniel Smith is the director of the Arkansas Department of Health and the state health officer. The ADH’s mission is to protect and improve the health and well-being of all Arkansans. As a member of Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s cabinet, Smith also provides scientific leadership to the agency, which has more than 5,000 employees and a budget of more than $400 million. It delivers services throughout the state in nearly 100 locations. Gov. Mike Beebe appointed Smith to the position in 2013. Smith started working for the state Health Department in 2004. A specialist in infectious diseases, Smith has served previously as state epidemiologist and as deputy director for Health Programs.
Roxane Townsend, 58
CEO
UAMS Medical Center, Little Rock
Vice Chancellor for Clinical Programs
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock
In 2013, Roxane Townsend became CEO of the UAMS Medical Center and vice chancellor for clinical programs for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. For the fiscal year that ended June 30, UAMS Medical Center had net patient revenue of $649.2 million, which was the highest amount in the state. The hospital has 450 beds. Before joining UAMS, Townsend was assistant vice president for health systems at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, where she worked with the LSU system’s 10 hospitals.
Troy Wells, 43
President and CEO
Baptist Health, Little Rock
Troy Wells joined Baptist Health in 2006 and became its president and CEO in 2014. With eight hospitals and 1,398 licensed beds, Baptist Health is the state’s largest hospital system. Construction is underway on its ninth hospital, a 111-bed facility that is expected to open in the fall. Baptist Health has more than 8,300 employees, making it the third-largest private employer in Arkansas. Wells has served as senior vice president of administrative services at Baptist. Before joining the nonprofit organization, Wells was the chief operating officer at Newport Hospital & Clinic in Newport, Arkansas. He received his bachelor’s in microbiology from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and his master’s in health services administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
David Wroten, 59
Executive Vice President
Arkansas Medical Society, Little Rock
In 1983, David Wroten started his career with the Arkansas Medical Society as a professional relations coordinator. He is the executive vice president of the AMS and responsible for implementing the association’s policies and programs, including overseeing its business and financial affairs. AMS represents more than 4,000 physicians and medical students. Wroten is also the president and CEO of AMS Benefits Inc., a for-profit subsidiary of AMS that provides insurance and other services to AMS members. Wroten received a bachelor’s degree in finance and an MBA from Arkansas State University at Jonesboro. Wroten is a member of the Governor’s Advisory Council on Medicaid Reform, the American Society of Association Executives and the American Association of Medical Society Executives and is a past president of the Arkansas Society of Association Executives.
Sign up for Daily E-news
