Health Care Heroes

Small/Rural Hospital Winner: Arkansas Children's Northwest

2 weeks ago

As the northwest Arkansas region's first and only children's hospital, Arkansas Children's Northwest (ACNW) is transforming health care for the area's young.

Large Hospital Winner: Jefferson Regional Medical Center

2 weeks ago

Located in Pine Bluff, Jefferson Regional serves as a regional referral center for a large geographic area. It is also the region with the most economically distressed population. Jefferson Regional is meeting both issues head on.

Long-Term Care Facility Winner: The Green House Cottages of Poplar Grove

2 weeks ago

Executive Director John Montgomery is looking to reshape the way we think of long-term care facilities and what they can feel like for the people living there. At the Green House Cottages of Poplar Grove, the focus is on making the space feel like home to the residents,

Innovation Hero Winner: Mellie Bridewell

2 weeks ago

Mellie Bridewell is tackling the state's rural health care shortage head-on. In 2007, Bridewell pulled five hospitals in southeast Arkansas together to form the Arkansas Rural Health Partnership.

Community Outreach Winner: Larry Freeman

2 weeks ago

Larry Freeman opened the nonprofit Synergy Saturday in 2015 to tailor health care to those who most need it in a relaxed and welcoming environment.

Allied Health Professional Winner: Miranda Yelvington

2 weeks ago

Arkansas Children's has the only burn center in the state. It services both children and adults.

Physician of the Year Winner: Johnathan Goree

2 weeks ago

Most physicians diagnose or treat pathology or disease, but Johnathan Goree of the UAMS Chronic Pain Division treats quality of life.

Nurse of the Year Winner: Brenda Jo Jarrard

2 weeks ago

Brenda Jo Jarrard has been a registered nurse for close to 30 years and goes to work at Booneville Human Development Center each day not for the paycheck, but to help her patients and enrich their lives and those of her co-workers.

Administrator of the Year Winner: John Montgomery

2 weeks ago

John Montgomery is the executive director of The Green House Cottages of Poplar Grove in Little Rock, a decentralized skilled nursing facility that looks to disrupt the long-term care industry by offering all private rooms and bathrooms, a home-like environment and elder choice.

Lifetime Achievement Award: Mary Salassi-Scotter

2 weeks ago

With more than 40 years of experience in pediatric nursing, Mary Salassi-Scotter hasn't lost her passion for her patients or her enthusiasm for her work.

Small/Rural Hospital Finalist: Howard Memorial Hospital

2 weeks ago

Howard Memorial Hospital is a critical access hospital providing comprehensive patient-focused care in a variety of settings — emergency, surgical, inpatient and outpatient — delivered by skilled medical professionals.

Small/Rural Hospital Finalist: Ouachita County Medical Center

2 weeks ago

Ouachita County Medical Center strives to be the focal point of a coordinated, county wide continuum of health care services, from preventive care to geriatrics.

Large Hospital Finalist: CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs

2 weeks ago

CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs is a full service medical center with a Level II Trauma Center designation and robust childbirth center in addition to advanced specialties in cancer treatment, orthopedics and heart care.

Large Hospital Finalist: St. Bernards Medical Center

2 weeks ago

St. Bernards Medical Center is the health care destination for families in Jonesboro and the surrounding areas.

Large Hospital Finalist: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

2 weeks ago

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has set a goal to, by 2029, lead Arkansas to be the healthiest state in the region through education, clinical care, research and purposeful leadership.

Long-Term Care Facility Finalist: Baptist Health Extended Care Hospital

2 weeks ago

Baptist Health Extended Care Hospital (BHECH) is a state-of-the-art facility located on the campus of Baptist Health Medical Center in Little Rock, providing long-term acute care to patients with complex medical conditions.

Long-Term Care Facility Finalist: Presbyterian Village

2 weeks ago

Quality resident care is at the core of Presbyterian Village's values.

Innovation Hero Finalist: Erin Mannen

2 weeks ago

Erin Mannen helped spearhead a unique approach at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences that is saving infants' lives.

Innovation Hero Finalist: Mayumi Nakagawa

2 weeks ago

For nearly two decades, Mayumi Nakagawa has focused her studies on the human papillomavirus (HPV) and ways to treat the disease. She and her team at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences may be closing in on the answer.

Innovation Hero Finalist: Orthopedic Hand Trauma Telemedicine

2 weeks ago

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) ushered in a new era of care when the hospital opened the first hand trauma telemedicine program in the nation in 2014.

Community Outreach Finalist: Sandra J. Brown

2 weeks ago

Under CEO Sandra J. Brown, Jefferson Comprehensive Care System Inc. (JCCSI) offers help in communities where people often have the hardest time helping themselves.

Community Outreach Finalist: Community Health Centers of Arkansas

2 weeks ago

Established in 1985, Community Health Centers of Arkansas (CHCA) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to expand access to affordable quality care in Arkansas, and to create a unified voice for Community Health Centers (CHCs) and the patients they serve.

Community Outreach Finalist: Kenya Eddings

2 weeks ago

For Kenya Eddings, the wellness director at the Arkansas Department of Health, it's simple — workplace lactation accommodation is a win-win for both employees and employers.

Allied Health Professional Finalist: Stacie Bordelon

2 weeks ago

A passion for enabling patients to live healthier lives and a leap of faith landed Stacie Bordelon in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences' Specialty Pharmacy Services Infectious Disease Clinic.

Allied Health Professional Finalist: Tonya Johnson

2 weeks ago

As a registered and licensed dietician, Tonya Johnson brings her passion for nutrition to her role as the director of nutrition and food services at UAMS.

Allied Health Professional Finalist: Derek Lagemann

2 weeks ago

As co-owner of the Physical Therapy Institute, Derek Lagemann, doctor of physical therapy, works to evaluate, treat and rehabilitate acute and chronic injuries, with professional interests that include orthopedic care with an emphasis on spinal rehabilitation.

Physician of the Year Finalist: Stephen Canon

2 weeks ago

Stephen Canon is chief of Pediatric Urology and medical director at Arkansas Children's Medical Group. In that capacity he cares for patients, leads and manages the urology division at Arkansas Children's, oversees and directs the medical activities of Arkansas Children's Medical Group, researches urologic diseases in order to better understand and treat patients and trains the next generation of urologists.

Physician of the Year Finalist: Thomas Kiser

2 weeks ago

Thomas Kiser manages patient care at Baptist Health Rehabilitation Institute and UAMS, leading rehabilitation care teams, teaching medical students and residents, participating in research, making professional presentations at conferences and serving on hospital committees to improve service and care.

Physician of the Year Finalist: Ryan Koch

2 weeks ago

As an oncologist with Unity Health in Searcy, Dr. Ryan Koch sees firsthand the highs and lows that come with cancer treatment.

Physician of the Year Finalist: Jon Oden

2 weeks ago

Jon Oden is both physician and patient, which gives him a special insight in his role as associate professor of pediatric endocrinology at Arkansas Children's.

Nurse of the Year Finalist: Morgan Butler

2 weeks ago

For Morgan Butler, treating diabetes at Arkansas Children's is personal.

Nurse of the Year Finalist: Amanda McCorkle

2 weeks ago

For Amanda McCorkle, the joy she finds in her role as a nurse practitioner in the radiology department at Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System stems from a love of helping people heal and live their best lives.

Nurse of the Year Finalist: Ashlee VanHouten

2 weeks ago

As an Emergency Department nurse earlier in her career, Ashlee VanHouten wanted to be able to help people avoid emergency situations by focusing on preventative care in a primary care setting.

Administrator of the Year Finalist: Adam Head

2 weeks ago

When he became president and CEO of CARTI more than two years ago, Adam Head realized there was more to the job than its finances.

Administrator of the Year Finalist: Ann Kruger

2 weeks ago

Ann Kruger began her career in nursing at the pediatric intensive care unit and emergency department of a children's hospital, which eventually led her to her administrative role as vice president of ambulatory services at Arkansas Children's.

Administrator of the Year Finalist: Brian Thomas

2 weeks ago

Brian Thomas' recipe for success at Jefferson Regional focuses on hiring the best people, giving them the tools and resources they need to do the job and then simply getting out of their way.