HJAR Sep/Oct 2020

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  SEP / OCT 2020 29 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalAR.com of Arkansas, Fayetteville. She received her doc- torate in chiropractic medicine at Palmer Chi- ropractic College in Davenport, Iowa and cer- tification in orthopedics at Parker University in Dallas, Tex. Beverly Foti of Little Rock Foti is the chief regulatory officer for Youth Home, Inc. She has over 30 years of behav- ioral health experience. She earned a bache- lor’s degree in psychology and master’s degree in counseling psychology from the University of Central Arkansas. Additionally, she received a doctorate in public health from the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health. Bess Heisler Ginty of Forrest City Ginty serves as president and chief executive officer of Kids for the Future, a family- owned and operated business in the Arkansas Delta. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the Uni- versity of Arkansas, Fayetteville and a master’s degree from George Mason University. In 2016, she launched a nonprofit, Kids for the Future Cares, to provide area families in need with basic necessities, educational resources, emer- gency response services and more. Drew Kumpuris of Little Rock Kumpuris has practiced clinical cardiology in Little Rock for over 40 years. He received his medical degree from Baylor College of Medi- cine. He is a health care Policy fellow with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Jerry Martin of North Little Rock A native of the River Valley, Martin serves as the Arkansas water team leader for Garver, lead- ing a diverse team of engineers, scientists, designers and technicians in the design and construction of water and wastewater treat- ment facilities. He received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil and water resource engineering from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Paige Newman of Longville, Louisiana Newman graduated in May with a Master of Public Health degree from the Fay W. Booz- man College of Public Health. She plans to pursue a doctorate in health analytics. Alan Perlman of Fayetteville Perlman serves as the business development director for consumer products and retailer services at NSF International, a public health and safety organization. He has 40 years of experience in the consumer products industry (food and beverage, dietary supplements, cos- metics/personal care, over-the-counter drugs, medical devices, household products, paper and absorbent products). He earned a bach- elor’s degree in food science from the Univer- sity of Massachusetts, Amherst. Marilyn Porter of Little Rock Porter, a graduate of the University of Arkan- sas, Fayetteville, has lived in Little Rock for 43 years. She established the statewide Local Divi- sions for the Arkansas Community Foundation in 1994 to match a Walton Family Challenge. She has served on the Board of the Arkan- sas Arts Center for two terms and received a Presidential Appointment from President Bill Clinton to the United States Access Board. In 2010, she worked with the University of Arkan- sas to design, fund, and build the North Gate entrance to Old Main for the Pi Beta Phi Fra- ternity Centennial Gift. She is a board mem- ber for the Central Arkansas Library Systems (CALS). She has been married for 43 years to Dr. Robert A. Porter Jr and continues to sup- port many non-profit organizations. James W. Wallis of Little Rock Wallis is retired president of EXOK Inc., a suc- cessful Oklahoma City-based oil and gas busi- ness. Wallis earned a Bachelor of Science in Petroleum Engineering and a juris doctorate from the University of Tulsa.  Blue &You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas Gives Grant to Address COVID-19 in Hard-to-Reach Communities The Blue & You Foundation for a Health- ier Arkansas announced a $286,000 grant to the Northwest Arkansas Council Foundation to address the recent spike in COVID-19 transmis- sion in the Latinx and Marshallese populations in Northwest Arkansas. The funds are being used to hire and train com- munity health navigators to conduct outreach within Latinx and Marshallese communities. This grant is part of a larger program intended to limit the spread of COVID-19 through a coordinated response for testing and other support in hard-to- reach populations of Northwest Arkansas. “Since the pandemic began, the Blue & You Foundation has worked to rapidly respond to the needs across the state resulting from COVID- 19,” said Patrick O’Sullivan, executive director of the Blue & You Foundation. “Since April, we’ve funded more than $2.4 million to organizations fighting the spread of the virus, but the Northwest Arkansas crisis is a need unlike any challenge our state has experienced thus far. The Blue & You Foundation provides this grant to the Northwest Arkansas Council Foundation with gratitude for their planning and dedication to finding solutions in their region of the state.” The grant will support 10 community health nav- igators, who will be hired from within the North- west Arkansas communities especially hard hit by the pandemic. Six navigators will be bilingual in Spanish and English, and four will be bilingual in Marshallese and English. With recent spikes in COVID-19 cases, it is estimated that more than 80 bilingual navigators and contact tracers are needed.  The community health navigators will be employed, trained and supervised by the UAMS Northwest Regional Campus (UAMS) and Com- munity Clinic. Each of these organizations has long-term experience and strong relationships with the Marshallese- and Spanish-speaking pop- ulations in Northwest Arkansas. “Northwest Arkansas is a diverse region and is home to large Latinx and Pacific Islander popu- lations who make significant contributors to the state’s overall economic success and cultural diversity,” said Pearl McElfish, PhD, vice chancel- lor of the UAMS Northwest Regional Campus. “Unfortunately, these communities have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19, having rates of infection that are about 400% higher than the general population. We are pleased that the Blue & You Foundation has announced the first investment in our efforts to reduce the COVID-19 disparities in the Latinx and Marshallese commu- nities. This grant will help us begin the process of lowering those infection rates.” As part of the local community, the community health navigators will be able to connect with people, give advice and link them to commu- nity resources. The navigators will also provide translation and interpretation services, help with access to resources (such as food and medication)