HJAR Nov/Dec 2020

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  NOV / DEC 2020 31 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalAR.com oversee an 18-site pediatric clinical trial network that provides children in medically underserved or rural areas access to clinical studies on environ- mental influences on early development. The Data Coordinating and Operations Cen- ter (DCOC) for the NIH Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Institutional Development Award (IDeA) States Pediatric Clin- ical Trials Network (ISPCTN) at UAMS is led by Jeannette Lee, PhD, professor of biostatistics, and Jessica Snowden, MD, associate professor of pediatrics and chief of the Division of Pediat- ric Infectious Diseases in the UAMS College of Medicine. After originally receiving $41.8 million in fund- ing in 2016, the center will use this latest grant to continue its work for an additional five years. The DCOC implements large clinical trials across 18 states to inform programs, practices and policies that enhance the health of children. Physician Assistant Joins ConwayMedical Group Jessica Strack, a physician assistant, is now a part of Conway Regional Health System. Strack joins Laura Massey, MD, and Sarah Robertson, MD, at Conway Medical Group. Strack is an alumna of Harding University, where she achieved her Master of Science in physician assistant studies. She has worked as a healthcare provider in Central Arkansas for the past 11 years. Endocrinologist Madhura Borikar, MD, Joins CHI St. Vincent Little Rock Diagnostic Clinic Madhura Borikar, MD, has joined the team of endocrinologists at the CHI St. Vincent Little Rock Diagnostic Clinic, a multi-speciality medical prac- tice founded in 1961 providing diagnostic and treatment services to patients throughout Cen- tral Arkansas. “We are pleased to welcome Dr. Borikar to the CHI St. Vincent Little Rock Diagnostic Clinic team,” said Ryan Broadhead, practice executive for CHI St. Vincent Little Rock Diagnostic Clinic. “Her knowledge and dedication will allow us to continue to provide compassionate and quality care to our patients in Central Arkansas.” After attending medical school at Government Medical College in Aurangabad, India, Borikar completed a residency in internal medicine at Mercy Catholic Medical Center in Philadelphia and fellowship training in endocrinology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Borikar is now seeing patients at the CHI St. Vincent Little Rock Diagnostic Clinic at 10001 Lile Drive in Little Rock. Sirinya Prasertvit, MD, Joins CHI St. Vincent Medical Group CHI St. Vincent announced that surgeon Sirinya Prasertvit, MD, joined the team of more than 300 physicians and medical providers with the CHI St. Vincent Medical Group. Prasertvit will begin seeing patients two days a week at the CHI St. Vincent Surgery Clinic and three days a week at the CHI St. Vincent Little Rock Diagnostic Clinic. “Dr. Prasertvit is a gifted surgeon with years of experience in general surgery, breast surgery and endocrine surgery,” said David Foster, MD, presi- dent of the CHI St. Vincent Medical Group. “Her addition is a step forward in our commitment to provide quality, compassionate care to our patients in Central Arkansas.” Prasertvit previously served as general surgeon and breast surgeon at Nashville Surgical Asso- ciates in Nashville, Tenn. She attended medical school at the University of Tennessee Health Sci- ence Center in Memphis, where she also com- pleted a residency in general surgery. The CHI St. Vincent Medical Group is a multi- specialty network that connects primary care doc- tors with their colleagues in surgery, cardiology, and many other medical fields. Emergency phy- sicians and hospitalists are also part of the medi- cal group to allow primary care providers to stay connected when patients visit a CHI St. Vincent hospital. Little Rock Air Force Base Opens Lactation Room The 189th Airlift Wing at Little Rock Air Force Base (LRAFB) has opened a new lactation room in collaboration with ADH’s Office of Health Equity, Healthy Active Arkansas, the Arkansas Breast- feeding Coalition, and the Association of State Public Health Nutritionists. Arkansas law protects a woman’s right to breastfeed a child in a public place and requires employers to provide reasonable unpaid break time to employees who need to express or pump breast milk. Lactation rooms like the one unveiled at LRAFB support service members and civilian support staff by providing a comfortable environ- ment to breastfeed or pump. “ADH is excited to continue our partnership to support military moms and families, which began last year with the March of Dimes as we Madhura Borikar, MD Sirinya Prasertvit, MD Jessica Strack, PA