Rex Jones is joining the Arkansas Rural Health Partnership (ARHP) as chief executive officer, effective May 1, 2022. He will succeed Mellie Bridewell, who will continue to serve the nonprofit as president, a new senior leadership position that will allow her to focus on strategic growth initiatives for the organization.
Bridewell also will maintain her position at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), which is a partner in the ARHP, as a regional director in the Office of Strategy Management. As ARHP’s CEO, Jones will work with the UAMS strategy team on initiatives and collaborations focused on improving health care access and delivery in rural Arkansas.
Jones joins UAMS and the ARHP from Magnolia Regional Medical Center, where he is the chief executive officer, a position he has held since 2016. He also has served on the AHRP board of directors for eight years, including a stint as the board’s president from 2015 to 2016. A hospital administrator for 25 years, Jones has led rural hospitals in three states.