HJAR Mar/Apr 2021

64 MAR / APR 2021  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS Hospital Rounds cost of $4,256,175 by Oct. 13, 2021. To date, Meth- odist Family Health Foundation has $809,000 left to raise. “This center will include a chapel, multipur- pose space, welcome center for the campus, and administrative space for our Methodist Children’s Home administrators,” said Carolyn McCone, CFRE, executive director of the Methodist Family Health Foundation. “We also will include an out- door labyrinth, new landscaping, and enhanced parking to compliment the center.” Plans for the center include bible studies and spiritual services, such as communion, for the Arkansas children and families Methodist Family Health serves. United Methodist Church groups throughout the state and region volunteer to serve at Methodist Family Health, providing wor- ship experiences like music, devotionals, vacation Bible school, and other spirituality services. “Even with our attempts at keeping it structur- ally repaired, the original chapel has deteriorated to a point where our children are without a dedi- cated place to worship,” McCone said. In addition to the chapel, the center will pro- vide space for: • Training for directors and staff, and • Meetings for community partners such as neighborhood associations and community education. Arkansas Children’s Names Crystal Kohanke as SVP, Chief People Officer Arkansas Children’s has named Crystal Kohanke, MS, PHR, SHRM-CP, ACC, as senior vice president and chief people officer. She begins leading the human resources division representing two chil- dren’s hospitals, statewide clinics, a philanthropic foundation, and research institute on Feb. 22. Kohanke joins Arkansas Children’s with a wealth of strategic experience in diverse organizations and industries ranging from healthcare to edu- cation, marketing services and the financial sec- tor. She currently serves as group vice president of Human Resources for CHRISTUS Health South Texas, where her responsibilities have included the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio. “Crystal’s commitment to relationship-building and her track record as a results-focused leader make her an excellent match for leading Arkansas Children’s culture, growth and professional devel- opment strategies,” said Arkansas Children’s Pres- ident and CEO Marcy Doderer, FACHE. “People are our most important asset, and we are at a cru- cial moment as work culture evolves to meet chal- lenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Crys- tal’s leadership will help our team of more than 4,000 people surmount these obstacles while fur- ther building on our exceptional culture of safety, teamwork, compassion, and excellence.” In her first months with Arkansas Children’s, Kohanke’s focus will be listening and learning. She aims to deeply understand how the health sys- tem’s new strategic plan is underpinned by build- ing, supporting, and leveraging a team commit- ted to creating a new era of health. “The mission of Arkansas Children’s is inspiring and its culture aligns beautifully with my passion for cooperation, partnership, and always focusing on the patient,” Kohanke said. “I look forward to guiding the strategies and resources our work- force needs to achieve a bold mission and vision, motivate excellence, and cultivate engagement that sustains our collective efforts.” Kohanke’s experience at CHRISTUS Health has included responsibilities for 11 adult care facili- ties, the freestanding children’s hospital, and approximately 8,000 employees. Before joining the system in 2011, she served in similar roles for customer experience solutions provider Harland Clarke. Kohanke earned a BBA in Accounting from St. Mary’s University and a Master of Science degree in Human Resource Management Systems from Chapman University. She is a SHRM-certified professional, a certified stakeholder centered coach, an associate certified coach, and holds the professional in human resources certification. She has been recognized with the Diversity- FIRST Award from the Texas Diversity Council and the National Diversity Council, and received the Women Leadership Award in the corporate executive category from the San Antonio Busi- ness Journal. Baptist Health-Fort Smith Offers Inpatient Epilepsy Monitoring Baptist Health-Fort Smith opened an inpatient Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU) for patients who experience recurring, unprovoked seizures. Epilepsy is the fourth most common neurologi- cal disorder and affects people of all ages. Neurological exams, blood tests, and imaging tests such as an electroencephalogram (EEG), computerized tomography (CT) scan or mag- netic resonance imaging (MRI) may be used to diagnose epilepsy. Continuously monitoring a patient’s brain activity is also key to a diagnosis and appropriate treatment. During their stay, a patient is monitored 24 hours a day for three to five days. Continuous video-EEG monitoring technology gathers data before the seizure starts, while one is occurring and during the brain’s recovery. The program is overseen by Mohammad Owais, MD, an epileptologist, of Baptist Health Neuro- science Center-Fort Smith. Owais is board-certi- fied in epilepsy, neurology, and psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. “Epilepsy is a common disorder that can nega- tively impact a person’s daily life, so it’s important to properly diagnose the disease and offer the appropriate treatment,” Owais said. n Crystal Kohanke, MS, PHR, SHRM-CP, ACC Mohammad Owais, MD