HJAR Jan/Feb 2021

36 JAN / FEB 2021  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS   Healthcare Briefs to advancement within our HDCs and beyond. In turn, having CNAs on staff ensures our cli- ents are getting high-quality care from trained professionals.” New hires are enrolled in the CNA training at each HDC as part of the new employee orien- tation process, if they are not already certified. The training program is three weeks long and includes classroom instruction along with hands- on, clinical skills training. Once the training pro- gram is completed, these staff members will take a CNA certification exam that is paid for by DHS. The cost of the CNA certification exam is paid by DHS. DHS currently has 320 CNA positions open across its five HDCs currently posted. To qualify for a DHS certified nursing assis- tant position an applicant must have a high school diploma or GED and six or more months of direct customer service experience or expe- rience providing personal care to a patient or loved one, including volunteer hours. The appli- cant must also be CNA certified or become cer- tified through the DDS training program within six months of their hire date. The starting salary for a DHS certified nursing assistant position is $26,034. Baptist Health-ConwayWelcomes Cardiologist Lensey Scott, MD Cardiologist Lensey Scott, MD, recently joined the team at Baptist Health Heart Institute/Arkan- sas Cardiology-Conway. “I care about the cardiac health of my patients, and I strive to treat every patient like family,” Scott said of his approach to serving residents in Faulkner County and surrounding areas. Scott received a doctorate of medicine from Florida State University in Tallahassee, Fla. He completed residency training through the Inter- nal Medicine Residency Program at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Gainesville, Fla. Scott completed fellowships at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City; University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson; and Wayne State Uni- versity/Detroit Medical Center in Detroit. Baptist Health Heart Institute/Arkansas Car- diology-Conway is located at 625 United Drive, Suite 220 on the campus of Baptist Health-Con- way. Arkansas Cardiology is a department of Bap- tist Health-Conway. NewPublic Opioid Dashboard Serves as Tool to Shine Light on Epidemic A new online data system has launched to give law enforcement, policy makers, health care pro- fessionals, and the general public a fuller picture of the opioid epidemic in Arkansas. The Arkansas Opioid Response Dashboard is the first public comprehensive data system to track opioid-related deaths, overdoses, arrests, and prescriptions in Arkansas. It is available at artakeback.org/opioid-dashboard. “We need good data and analysis to more fully address the opioid epidemic in our state because we need to know the true extent and location of the problems before we can fully address them,” said State Drug Director Kirk Lane. “The dash- board is the perfect tool to help us do that. We can use the information to target resources to the greatest areas of need and the public can get a clearer picture of what is happening.” The dashboard was developed by the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care (AFMC) in conjunc- tion with the State Drug Director and Department of Human Services Division of Aging, Adult, and Behavioral Health Services. Funding was provided by a grant from the United States Department of Justice. Key participants include the Arkan- sas Department of Health (ADH), Arkansas State Crime Laboratory (ASCL), and the Arkansas Cor- oners’ Association. The dashboard is available to the public while maintaining individual confidentiality. This data is useful for in-depth research, timely identification of spikes in drug crimes, and identification of areas of special needs and resource gaps. Lane said the dashboard is accessible by the public so that Arkansans can see what is going on around them to make good and healthy decisions. Infusion Center Opens at UAMSWinthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute A new center for patients undergoing chemo- therapy was unveiled at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Winthrop P. Rock- efeller Cancer Institute. Located on the institute’s sixth floor, Infusion Center B will primarily serve patients with blood cancers, such as multiple myeloma, leukemia, and lymphoma, as well as those participating in clin- ical trials. “This new state-of-the-art infusion center will greatly expand our ability to provide essential cancer therapies for our patients, as well as pro- vide them with the warm, comfortable environ- ment they deserve,” said UAMS Chancellor Cam Patterson, MD, MBA. The center can accommodate a total of 50 patients, with 20 in private rooms, 10 in infection control rooms, and 20 in open pods. Patient areas have access to natural light. Arkansas Urology Announces NewAdvanced Prostate Care Coordinator Arkansas Urology, the largest urology practice in the state, announced a new Advanced Prac- tice Nurse / Prostate Cancer Coordinator join- ing their team. Sherry Denton, of Denver, Colo. joins Arkansas Urology after having spent most of her career in healthcare management. For the past 20 years, Denton has been educating patients around the United States and most recently, helping clinics in Georgia and Colorado expand their urologi- cal care and prostate cancer treatment options for patients. Prior to joining the Arkansas Urology team, Denton served as the manager of the Compre- hensive Prostate Cancer Clinic and dispensing pharmacy at Urology Associates Colorado. From 2015 to 2019, she was a nurse practitioner at Georgia Urology focusing on advanced prostate Lensey Scott, MD