HJAR Nov/Dec 2021

34 NOV / DEC 2021  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS   Healthcare Briefs is one of eight new grants supporting nursing- driven innovation in communities that have his- torically struggled against oppression, discrimi- nation and indifference. For Arkansas Hospice, the grant will support the organization’s Reaching Communities of Color in Arkansas initiative to help expand the accep- tance and understanding of hospice and pallia- tive care among African Americans, especially in rural Arkansas. Deanna May, RN, one of Arkansas Hospice’s education and quality coordinators, will lead the project alongside Kyle Jones, Arkansas Hospice’s minority outreach coordinator. “Research shows that minority groups, particu- larly African Americans, are skeptical of hospice care and are at risk of not dying well — meaning that their final days might be filled with pain, fear, and regret, rather than making the most of that time with loved ones,” May said. Our program will offer education on the benefits of hospice and palliative care through partnerships with Afri- can American faith communities and small-town leadership. It’s our hope that these relationships, along with technological innovations, will help turn these statics around — and ultimately help make the final days of more Arkansans as com- fortable and pain-free as possible.” “The pandemic has made disparities in pal- liative and end-of-life care even more painfully clear,” said Rachael Watman, vice president of programs at the Rita & Alex Hillman Foundation. “Together with our partners at the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, we are committed to address- ing these gaps in care and advancing innovative ideas to serve marginalized populations.” Muthukumar Radhakrishnan, MD, Joins CHI St. Vincent Pulmonology Disease and Critical CareMedicine Clinic CHI St. Vincent announced that Muthukumar Radhakrishnan, MD, joined the CHI St. Vincent Pulmonology Disease and Critical Care Medicine Clinic in Hot Springs. The team of board-certified pulmonary, critical care and sleep physicians at the clinic treat patients with a wide range of lung problems and sleep disorders. Radhakrishnan previously served as assistant professor of medicine at the University of Arkan- sas for Medical Sciences. After attending medical school at Yenepoya Medical College in Manga- lore, India, Radhakrishnan completed a residency in internal medicine at Wayne State University in Detroit. He completed a fellowship training in pulmonary and critical care medicine at the Uni- versity of Toledo Medical Center. Radhakrishnan and the team of specialists at the CHI St. Vincent Pulmonology Disease and Critical Care Medicine Clinic, located at 1 Mercy Lane, Suite 401 in Hot Springs, diagnose and treat breathing problems related to diseases of the lungs and bronchial tubes, which often involves the upper respiratory tract, as well as the heart. Common sleep disorders treated at the clinic include obstructive sleep apnea, central sleep apnea, obesity hypoventilation syndrome, nar- colepsy, hypersomnia, restless leg syndrome and shift worker sleep disorders. UAMS Receives Grant from Federal Communications Commission The UAMS Institute for Digital Health & Inno- vation received a one-year grant for $982,589 to facilitate digital health services for 34 hospi- tals and clinics in rural communities throughout Arkansas and the greater Memphis area. Part of its COVID-19 Telehealth Program, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) awarded the grant for the purchase of new digital health equipment for emergency departments, labor and delivery units, and clinical spaces in medically underserved healthcare facilities. The digital health technology will connect rural providers with remote specialists through private, real-time virtual consultations for triage, diagnosis and treatment recommendations. The remote providers will have the ability to assess condi- tions dealing with COVID-19, strokes, hand and burn trauma, high-risk pregnancy and behavioral health. The 34 partner sites will also have access to UAMS HealthNow virtual urgent care. “Using updated digital health equipment is essential in providing Arkansans with optimal quality healthcare through virtual consults,” said Joseph Sanford, MD, institute director. The majority of the 34 partner sites are located in communities with a shortage of providers, nurses and healthcare facilities. Through the UAMS e-Link virtual platform, UAMS surpassed 100,000 digital health visits in April to reach patients from all corners of the state by expand- ing the network and range of healthcare, in addi- tion to providing digital health services for rural healthcare facilities. Similar to the grant UAMS received from the FCC in June 2020, this grant will also provide reimbursement for telecommunications services, information services, and connected devices nec- essary to enable digital health during the COVID- 19 pandemic. J.B. Hunt Transport Services Cancer Support Home to Offer Free Clinical Breast Exams The Washington Regional J.B. Hunt Trans- port Services Cancer Support Home will offer free clinical breast exams during a breast health clinic on Oct. 16 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the J.B. Hunt Transport Services Cancer Support Home, located at 488 E. Longview St. in Fayetteville. The clinical breast examinations are offered at no cost to the public and are performed by physicians and/or registered nurse practitioners. Appoint- ments are requested, and space is limited. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 479-404-2162 or email cancersupporthome@ wregional.com . Referral and financial assistance will be available for those who qualify based on physician recommendation, age and income. Additional follow-up mammography and imag- ing services for patients with no or limited insur- ance coverage are available through the Wash- ington Regional J.B. Hunt Transport Services Cancer Support Home’s No Excuses program or other financial assistance programs. n Muthukumar Radhakrishnan, MD