HJAR Jul/Aug 2019

Healthcare Journal of ARKANSAS I  JUL / AUG 2019 61 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalAR.com commitment to providing extraordinary cardiac care to the residents of El Dorado and all of south Arkansas.” Before joining Arkansas Heart Hospital, Stoy- ioglou served as an interventional cardiologist at White River Medical Center in Batesville. His experience spans locally, nationally, and interna- tionally as he started his career as a primary care physician in the Greek Navy. Patients will be able to see Dr. Stoyioglou beginning Monday, April 15. UAMS, RonaldMcDonald Charities of Arkansas Announce Construction of NewRooms for Families of Preemies Parents of babies in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) will be able to be pres- ent and involved in their child’s hospitalization through creation of a Ronald McDonald Family Room, announced by UAMS and Ronald McDon- ald House Charities of Arkansas (RMHCA). In a partnership between UAMS and the char- ity, a 2,000-square-foot space on the fifth floor of UAMS Medical Center will be renovated and operated by RMHCA. The new space will feature up to four overnight rooms for parents and sib- lings of patients in the UAMS NICU and a com- mon area for day use by up to 64 NICU families. This will be the first Ronald McDonald Fam- ily Room in central Arkansas. It will include a kitchen, dining and family area, and laundry, and will provide a quiet space so parents can be in the best position to make vital decisions for their baby. Construction will begin this summer and is expected to begin serving families by the end of the year. RMHCA will also provide staff to work with families staying overnight. Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas has provided a “home-away-from-home” for more than 37,000 families since 1980. “We want to bring our commitment and exper- tise to the heart of where it is needed most, the NICU,” says RMHCA Board Chair Diana Smith- son. “As a founder of the first Ronald McDonald House once said, ‘A family with a sick child is a sick family.’ In partnership with UAMS, our new fam- ily room will take care of the needs of the whole family.” Studies show that family involvement in patient care in the NICU reduces parental stress, anxiety, and depression; improves maternal-infant bond- ing and breastfeeding; and eases the transition to care at home after discharge from the hospital. UAMS is excited to be able to expand services for families of preemies, said Richard H.Turnage, MD, senior vice chancellor for clinical programs and chief executive officer of UAMS Medical Center. “We designed our neonatal floor with families in mind, and over the past 10 years we have seen how babies and their parents benefit from spend- ing time together in the first weeks of life. This partnership with Ronald McDonald House brings an opportunity for siblings to stay overnight with their parents for the first time,” Turnage said. UAMS serve families from across Arkansas, and babies often stay in the NICU for weeks or months. While parents have been able to stay with their infants in their room, the NICU has not been able to accommodate overnight stays by fami- lies with older children inside the hospital. The neonatal unit has 58 patient rooms and can serve up to 64 patients at a time. “We are delighted to partner with UAMS to cre- ate a Ronald McDonald Family Room just steps from the NICU,” said Janell Mason, executive director of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Arkansas. “Our five-story Ronald McDonald House served more than 1,200 families last year from UAMS, Arkansas Children’s Hospital and Baptist Health Medical Center. Creating this new program at UAMS will enable more families to stay together with their other children, experience the comforts of home, enjoy a good night’s rest, and allow them to better focus on the care of their infant. We couldn’t be more excited.” ?Funding of the Ronald McDonald Family Room is currently at $597,000, thanks to Windgate Char- itable Foundation, Clark Family Foundation, Inc., local McDonald’s owners, The J.E. and L.E. Mabee Foundation, and RMHC Global. The total project cost, including the first three years of operating support, is $910,000. CARTI Cancer Center Appoints JohnW. Goodman Chief Operating Officer CARTI Cancer Center, the state’s largest not- for-profit multidisciplinary cancer provider, announced that John Goodman has joined the organization as chief operating officer. Good- man most recently served as the vice president of oncology services for Saint Thomas Health in Nashville, Tenn., where he led the construc- tion of a new cancer center and the expansion of physician and cancer support services across the regional system. He also served as a national oncology service line advisor to Saint Thomas’s parent company, Ascension Health. “John’s expertise in oncology leadership will add lasting value to our organization,” said Adam Head, CARTI president and chief executive offi- cer. “With John at the operational helm, we will continue to expand our statewide footprint and provide the most leading-edge, patient-centered cancer care for our neighbors across the state.” With more than 15 years’ experience in oncol- ogy leadership, Goodman has been instrumen- tal in a variety of partnerships, acquisitions, and joint ventures as well as the development of many patient centric services, including the Thomas John W. Goodman Anthanasios Stoyioglou, MD