HJAR Sep/Oct 2020

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  SEP / OCT 2020 59 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalAR.com Vincent system. Williams most recently served as CHI St. Vincent’s vice president for patient care services and chief nursing officer for CHI St. Vin- cent Hot Springs. “Bryan is a champion for nursing and coworker engagement and has led efforts resulting in some of the highest results we’ve seen,” said CHI St. Vincent CEO Chad Aduddell. “He has a passion for quality, safety, and the patient experience and has been a key member of the team lead- ing improvements in our compassionate care.” Beginning his career as a staff nurse at CHI St. Vincent, Williams went on to serve in various roles at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Bap- tist Health in Birmingham, CHRISTUS Health in Corpus Christi, and Community Health Systems in the greater Nashville area. He returned to Arkan- sas in 2008 to serve as the chief nursing officer for CHI St. Vincent North and later as the executive director of nursing at the CHI St. Vincent Infirmary.  Williams earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice- Nursing Administration from the University of South Alabama, a Master of Science in Nursing at Stanford University, and an MBA from the Uni- versity of Alabama at Birmingham. He completed his Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the Uni- versity of Central Arkansas in Conway. Dr. Jill Flaxman Appointed Medical Director of Perioperative Services at CHI St. Vincent CHI St. Vincent Infirmary has appointed Dr. Jill Flaxman as medical director of perioperative ser- vices to provide leadership and vision for a wide range of surgical services. Flaxman brings both administrative and physician perspectives to the new role with experience in clinical practice, man- aged care, quality improvement, and healthcare information technology. “As an anesthesiologist, Dr. Flaxman has valu- able experience with all surgical specialties at CHI St. Vincent, including cardiovascular surgery” said Dr. Gerry Jones, CHI St. Vincent chief medi- cal officer for Central Arkansas. “That experience uniquely positions her to work with our operating room leadership to improve the efficiency, qual- ity, and safety of the surgical care we provide at the Infirmary.” Prior to accepting this new role, Flaxman served as chief of staff, medical director of quality and chief of anesthesia at CHI St. Vincent Infirmary. Before that, she was CEO of Southern Regional Anesthesiology Consultants PLLC and managing partner for Little Rock Anesthesia Services. Flaxman attended medical school and com- pleted an anesthesiology residency at the Univer- sity of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the Univer- sity of Arkansas at Little Rock. Flaxman is also an active volunteer with Autism Speaks and serves as a board member for the Arkansas Autism Foundation. KenitaDavis, APRN, JoinsWashing- ton Regional Stroke Program Kenita Davis, APRN, recently joined the Wash- ington Regional stroke program where she pro- vides evaluation and treatment for stroke patients in the hospital. Davis earned a Master of Nursing Science from the University of Arkansas for Med- ical Sciences (UAMS) and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Arkansas. She previously worked as an RN in critical care and has been at Washington Regional Medical Center for more than five years. UAMS, Arkansas to Build State’s First Proton Treatment Center to Build State’s First Proton Treatment Center The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), Arkansas Children’s, Baptist Health, and Proton International (PI) have signed a letter of intent to bring proton therapy — an alternative to radiation therapy for treating cancer — to Arkansas. The proton treatment center will be the first in Arkansas and one of only about 40 in the country. It will be located at the UAMS Radiation Oncol- ogy Center. Proton therapy precisely targets tumors, sparing the surrounding healthy tissues. Proton therapy is particularly effective in treating solid cancer tumors, including tumors of the brain, spine, head and neck, lung, prostate, colon, and some breast tumors. It is widely used to treat chil- dren with cancer, as children are particularly sensi- tive to the effects of radiation therapy. “Arkansas Children’s is pleased to play a role in bringing proton therapy to Arkansas. This effort is part of our continuous commitment to the children of Arkansas to provide state-of-the- art care. Pediatric cancer patients will benefit greatly through this collaborative venture,” said Marcy Doderer, president and CEO of Arkansas Children’s. “Baptist Health’s mission is to ensure the best care for patients,” said Troy Wells, president and CEO of Baptist Health. “This is another example of how strategic collaboration with other leading healthcare providers can improve the health of Arkansans and we’re happy to be bringing this therapy to Arkansas.” “The Proton International team is pleased to be working with our partners to bring this important technology to the citizens of Arkan- sas and the surrounding region. The vision of UAMS, Baptist Health, and Arkansas Children’s to assure this technology will be available in the fight against cancer will make a real difference in patients’ lives,” said Chris Chandler, CEO of Pro- ton International.  The agreement is pending approval by the Kenita Davis, APRN Jill Flaxman, MD