HJAR Sep/Oct 2020

64 SEP / OCT 2020  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS Hospital Rounds treatment to transgender and gender-noncon- forming patients, and the UAMS Vulvar Clinic, where women with vulvar and vaginal disorders are provided the latest treatments. “We listened to our patients and are pleased to offer unparalleled comfort, security, front-door parking and the convenient location they asked for,” said Steppe Mette, MD, vice chancellor for UAMS Health and UAMS Medical Center CEO. The Women’s Center building features 46 exam rooms, eight ultrasound rooms, and a dedicated patient education space. “We are happy to have this new facility in the heart of Little Rock that will be accessible to women from all across Central Arkansas and con- tribute to the growth and development of the mid-town medical community,” said Jay Chesshir, Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce pres- ident and CEO. The center offers virtual visits according to patient preference. For in-person visits, COVID-19 precautions remain in place. Call the clinic at (501) 526-1050 to schedule an appointment and find out the latest instructions for your visit. For more information, visit UAMS.Health/WomensCenter. Dr. RyanMantooth Joins Washington Regional Emergency Department Ryan Mantooth, MD, recently joined Washing- ton Regional as an emergency medicine physician. A native of Northwest Arkansas, Mantooth earned a medical degree at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and completed an emergency medicine residency at the University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB) Hospital. While at UAB, he was chief resident and also received the Bobby Lewis, MD, Resident of the Year Award. He is currently completing the Fellowship of the Academy of Wilderness Medicine (FAWM) pro- gram and is a member of the Wilderness Medi- cal Society and American College of Emergency Physicians. WillowCreekWomen’s Hospital is First in Nation to Earn VBAC Center of Excellence Recognition The Maternal Safety Foundation has recog- nized Willow Creek Women’s Hospital (WCWH) as a VBAC Center of Excellence. VBAC is an acro- nym for Vaginal Birth After Cesarean. Willow Creek is the first hospital in the nation to earn this recognition for its commitment to pro- viding safe, VBAC-supportive care. “I’m so proud of our entire team for achieving this significant recognition,” said Juli McWhorter, chief administrative officer of WCWH. “It repre- sents external validation of our commitment to providing the highest quality of care for mothers and babies. VBAC options matter to women and we take very seriously our role in ensuring safe, appropriate care even as we seek to exceed our patient’s expectations.” The Maternal Safety Foundation offers the Maternal Centers of Excellence as voluntary rec- ognition programs with a goal of helping patients and families find safe, risk-appropriate care. The number of women giving birth after a previous cesarean in the United States is approximately 600,000 — or 15.7 percent of all births — annually.  Women who have had a previous cesarean sec- tion birth are at risk for placenta accreta, which occurs when the placenta grows too deeply into the uterine wall and is unable to detach after childbirth. Previously uncommon, the incidence of placenta accreta has increased an estimated 400 percent in the last four decades alongside the increase in cesarean section births. A woman’s risk for developing accreta increases according to the number of previous cesarean births. “I am excited but not surprised that Willow Creek Women’s Hospital has earned the VBAC Center of Excellence designation. Trial of labor after cesarean section can be a viable option for many women,” said Darrin Cunningham, DO, FACOOG, a board-certified OB/GYN. “The old saying ‘once a C-Section always a C-Section’ is simply no longer applicable and we all work hard to make sure women know this. Although not all women can be a candidate for VBAC, many can in a safe, controlled environment that is available at Willow Creek Women’s Hospital. I am glad to be just a small part of it.” Cunningham is an independent member of the hospital’s medical staff, affiliated with Creekside Center for Women, who serves as vice chair of the OB Department. Data from Centers for Disease Control and Pre- vention (CDC) have shown that Arkansas has his- torically had the fewest options for patients with a previous cesarean birth to give birth vaginally. The most recent data available show that Missis- sippi, Arkansas, Alabama, Oklahoma, and Lou- isiana are the five states in which hospitals and physicians are least likely to support the option of VBAC when compared to other states. “Our organization recognizes hospitals that take the lead in ensuring safe, high-quality care options for patients with a previous cesarean,” said Jill Arnold, founder of the Maternal Safety Founda- tion. “We are so pleased to highlight our local Wil- low Creek Women’s Hospital for bucking regional trends and providing safe, preference-sensitive care for patients who want a VBAC.” Conway Regional, Hendrix College OpenMedical Clinic in the Village Conway Regional Health System has opened a family medical clinic with expanded hours that is accessible to the public as well as the Hendrix College community. The clinic is a partnership between Conway Regional and Hendrix College. “The partnership with Hendrix College is another innovative way that Conway Regional is keeping its promise to provide high-quality, com- passionate care to the community,” said Matt Troup, president and CEO of Conway Regional Health System. “Partnerships are what make our community successful and organization stronger. As a community-based hospital, the partnership with Hendrix College supports our mission, and we look forward to serving the students and our community through this new clinic.” “We are excited about the opening of the new clinic, and we are grateful to Conway Regional Ryan Mantooth, MD