HJAR Jan/Feb 2021

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  JAN / FEB 2021 63 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalAR.com the college. “We look forward to continuing our work and partnership with Rick and the entire Arkansas Children’s team as we strive to improve the health of children across Arkansas. “I have initiated efforts on behalf of the Col- lege of Medicine regarding the appointment of an interim chair of pediatrics as well as the search for our next chair,” Westfall said A track record of nearly continuous funding from the National Institutes of Health has been a hall- mark of Barr’s career since 2003, as he previously served as co-principal investigator of the Missis- sippi Pediatric Clinical Trials Center and the Arkan- sas Center for Advancing Pediatric Therapeutics. Both centers participate in the 18-site IDeA States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network, an NIH initiative overseen by the UAMS-based Data Coordinating and Operations Center. Barr previously served faculty positions at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Cincin- nati Children’s Medical Center, Vanderbilt Univer- sity Medical Center, and the University of Tennes- see Health Sciences Center. Barr received an undergraduate degree in ani- mal and veterinary science at West Virginia Univer- sity in 1984 and a medical degree from the Univer- sity of Virginia in 1988. He completed a residency in pediatrics at Vanderbilt, continuing training with a clinical fellowship in pediatric critical care at the University of California San Francisco, where he was also a research fellow in the Cardiovascular Research Institute. While on the faculty at Vander- bilt in 2002, he received a Master of Science in Clinical Investigation. He earned a Master of Busi- ness Administration from the University of Massa- chusetts at Amherst in 2018. Arkansas Surgical Hospital Opens Two Specialty Clinics in Central Arkansas Arkansas Surgical Hospital has opened two Arkansas Surgical Hospital Specialty Clinic loca- tions in Russellville and Hot Springs Village. Specialists from Bowen Hefley Orthopedics, Lit- tle Rock Neurosurgery, and Martin Orthopedics will see patients at the Russellville clinic. Neuro- logical Surgery Associates, Martin Orthopedics, and Bowen Hefley Orthopedics will see patients at the Hot Springs Village clinic. Staff are in the clinics on a rotating basis. “These new clinics allow more patients to access specialty care in locations that are convenient for them,” said Brian Fowler, CEO of Arkansas Sur- gical Hospital. The Russellville clinic is located at 3127 West 2nd Court and the Hot Springs Village clinic is located at 122 Cordoba Center Drive. Joseph Beck, MD, Receives Award for Lifetime of Outstanding Contributions to Medicine CHI St. Vincent physician Joseph Beck, MD, has been honored with the Pulaski County Med- ical Society’s 2020 President’s Award for a life- time of outstanding contributions to medicine. Beck, a medical oncologist with the CHI St. Vin- cent Oncology Clinic in Little Rock, has served as a physician on the CHI St. Vincent Infirmary’s med- ical staff for 33 years. He has also been an active member of the Arkansas Medical Board, including service as the group’s chair and president. “It is a true honor to be recognized in this way by my peers, but it’s also important to remind our- selves that our work is far from over. Our profes- sion requires that we come into the hospital each and every day emboldened with compassion and faith to care for every member of our community in need,” said Beck. “I would like to thank the Pulaski County Medical Society not just for this honor, but for their ongoing support for physi- cians and commitment to the health of Central Arkansas.” The Pulaski County Medical Society formally presented the 2020 President’s Award for a life- time of outstanding contributions to Beck dur- ing the organization’s virtual annual meeting on Dec. 3. Beck earned a medical degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and completed a fellowship in medical oncology at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. He con- tinues to see patients at his clinic in the Doctors Building, 500 South University Ave. CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs Receives National Magnet Designation, Highest Honor for Nursing Excellence, Patient Care CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs has received national Magnet designation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) for its con- tinued commitment to nursing excellence and compassionate patient care. Magnet designation is the highest honor bestowed upon an organi- zation for professional nursing practice and rec- ognizes excellence in nursing leadership, clini- cal practice, innovations, and positive outcomes. CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs is the fourth hospital in Arkansas to receive Magnet designation and one of only 530 hospitals nationwide to receive that recognition. CHI St. Vincent Infirmary in Lit- tle Rock became the first hospital in Arkansas to earn Magnet designation in 2013 and was redes- ignated in 2018. Baptist Health Uses Medical Device Designed by Arkansas Cardiologist Baptist Health recently partnered with Arkan- sas-based medical device startup Vascugenix to introduce new technology to the U.S. that was developed by Baptist Health cardiologist Dwight Chrisman, MD. The Speed Torque is specially designed to improve the process of guidewire manipulation in cardiovascular procedures. The patented design allows physicians to easily manipulate a guide- wire with one hand, unlike traditional guidewire torque devices that require two hands to advance and reposition. “We have been working for several years to bring this device to patients,” said Chrisman, who invented the technology and is the chief medical officer for Vascugenix. “Having a guidewire that can be manipulated comfortably with one hand will ultimately save procedure time, money, and improve patient safety. Our next focus is to get this into the hands of physicians working in cath Joseph Beck, MD