HJAR Sep/Oct 2020

30 SEP / OCT 2020  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS   Healthcare Briefs that will allow people to self-isolate, connect peo- ple to testing services for themselves and other family members, and provide support for con- tact tracing. This grant will complement existing activities being undertaken in the region by the North- west Arkansas Council’s Healthcare Transforma- tion Division. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the division has served as a coordinating body to establish a collective, region-wide response to the pandemic. “This grant will provide significant immediate resources to help curb infections in these hard- to-reach communities in Northwest Arkansas,” said Nelson Peacock, president and CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Council. “We are grateful for the coordination and support from the state of Arkansas and other funders to help imple- ment a robust testing and tracing strategy for the region.” “COVID-19 has left no community untouched, but we’re seeing it take an especially dramatic toll on our ethnic populations, particularly our Latinx and Pacific Islander populations in the northwest region of our state,” said Curtis Barnett, Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield president and chief executive officer. “We are pleased to support the Northwest Arkansas Council as it implements its COVID-19 Response Plan. We believe having trusted health navigators from within the com- munity who can help overcome language barri- ers and address critical social needs will be key to successfully controlling the spread of COVID- 19 within these populations.” UAMSWinthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute Elects New Board of Advisors Members The Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) announced the election of new members to its board of advisors. Ray Dillon of Little Rock serves as board chair. Additional officers are Nat- alie Rockefeller, vice chair; Hatim Smouni, trea- surer; and Penny Burkhalter, secretary. The new board of advisors members are: Viviane Ajarrista of Little Rock A native of France, Ajarrista has a degree in aeronautics and space engineering and worked for Airbus on various programs, including the European space shuttle and an anti-ballistic missile project. She also served as councilor in the cabinet of Alain Juppé, former prime minister of France and mayor of Bordeaux. Elizabeth “Liz” Birrer of Little Rock Birrer is a physical therapist with 40 years of experience that includes serving as president of TRI Rehab of Germantown, a rehabilitation clinic she established for pediatric and adult clients, as well as schools, in Maryland’s Mont- gomery County area. She later treated children with special needs, including autism, Down syndrome, developmental delays, and ortho- paedic conditions. Laura Doramus of Little Rock Doramus is a graduate of Southern Method- ist University in Dallas. She served as an active volunteer in the Little Rock School District for 17 years and is a sustaining member of the Junior League of Little Rock. She is a volun- teer with the UAMS Cancer Institute MVP pro- gram where she assists new myeloma patients on their first day of treatment, and for Partners Card, an annual fundraiser for the Cancer Insti- tute Auxiliary. Annemarie Dillard Jazic of Little Rock Jazic is vice president of online experience and digital marketing and director of contem- porary sportswear buying and merchandising for Dillard’s Inc. She co-founded two compa- nies, Posh-True and Aegix, and serves on the Arkansas State Fair board of directors. She has chaired a number of local charitable events, including the CARE Paws on the Runway. David Sutton of St. Petersburg, Florida Sutton serves as managing director in the Public Finance Department of Raymond James & Associates, an investment and wealth man- agement firm. During his 25 years with Ray- mond James, he has worked in its Chicago, Nashville, and St. Petersburg offices. An avid cyclist, Sutton completed a five-day bike ride in January 2020 during which he raised $7,000 for the UAMS Myeloma Center. William “Bill” H.L. Woodyard IV of Little Rock A Little Rock native, Woodyard is president of Central Licensing Bureau, a company that provides licensing services to the insurance industry. In 2018, he served as president of the Envoys, an advocacy group of the Cancer Institute. Woodyard previously was a member of the Arkansas Hospice Foundation board of directors, holding the position of chairman in 2009. Dr. Sibghat Tul Llah Joins CHI St. Vincent Heart Institute CHI St. Vincent welcomes invasive cardiolo- gist Dr. Sibghat Tul Llah to the CHI St. Vincent Heart Institute. Tul Llah is seeing patients at the CHI St. Vincent Heart Clinic Arkansas Cardi- ology and Medicine Clinic, located at 5315 West 12th Street in Little Rock. “We’re excited to welcome Dr. Tul Llah to the team at our Cardiology and Medicine Clinic to help provide the highest-quality care to our car- diovascular patients here in Central Arkansas,” said Marcia Atkinson, president of the CHI St. Vin- cent Heart Institute. After attending medical school at Government Medical College in Srinagar, India, Tul Llah com- pleted a residency in internal medicine at the Uni- versity of Missouri at Kansas City and fellowship Ray Dillon Sibghat Tul Llah, MD