HJAR Jan/Feb 2022

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  JAN / FEB 2022 23 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalAR.com advancement that Arkansas Urology is bringing to the state of Arkansas. “This is an exciting development for our patients in many ways,” said Jonathan Rushing, chief operating officer of Arkansas Urology. “PET scans are a vital diagnostic tool for treating cancer patients, particularly those with prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA). Our patients will have access to this state-of-the-art technology with- out having to leave our campus, and in the time of this pandemic, being able to streamline pro- cesses to ensure our patients have the best care possible all under one roof is very important.” Additionally, Arkansas Urology’s North Lit- tle Rock clinic will be receiving a newer cutting- edge Computer Tomography (CT) scanner which will allow Arkansas Urology to see an increased number of patients at its North Little Rock clinic. “I’m excited for the improvements in patient care that this represents, and proud to work for an organization that continually invests in bringing world-class care to Arkansans,” said Kevin Clay- brook, MD, president of Arkansas Urology. PET/CT scans will be available for Arkansas Urology patients beginning in November, and MRI scans later this year. This investment in new technology and facilities is approximately $6,000,000. . HoomanMotahari, MD, Joins CHI St. Vincent Diabetes and Endocrinology Clinic CHI St. Vincent announced that Hooman Motahari, MD, has joined the team of leading endocrinologists at the CHI St. Vincent Diabetes and Endocrinology Clinic in Little Rock. Motahari is now seeing patients at the clinic, located at 701 North University Avenue, Suite 201. After attending medical school at Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences in Teh- ran, Iran, Motahari completed a residency in inter- nal medicine at St. John’s Episcopal Hospital in Far Rockaway, New York, where he served as chief medical resident. He completed a fellowship training in endocrinology, diabetes and metabo- lism at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sci- ences (UAMS), where he most recently served as chief endocrinology fellow. The CHI St. Vincent Diabetes and Endocrinol- ogy Clinic diagnoses and treats diabetes type 1, diabetes type 2 and disorders of the thyroid, pituitary and adrenal glands. Specialists work with patients to properly diagnose their condition and develop a personalized treatment plan. Mercy NWAOffers On-site Little Free Pantries Janelle Potts, MD, primary care physician with Mercy Clinic Family Medicine – Downtown Rog- ers, and co-workers with Mercy Northwest Arkan- sas helped to establish the Little Free Pantry at the Rogers clinic five years ago. The Little Free Pantry has been so beneficial and successful, additional pantries have popped up at many other Mercy NWA locations. The latest pantry opened this summer at Mercy Clinic Primary Care – Springdale, with another in the works at Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas in Rogers. Other Mercy pantry locations include: • Mercy Highway 102, Bentonville. • Mercy Clinic I Street, Bentonville. • Mercy Clinic Centerton. • Mercy Clinic Pea Ridge. • Mercy Clinic Bella Vista. • Mercy Clinic Primary Care J Street, Bentonville. • Mercy Physicians Plaza, Rogers. The mini pantry project is a grassroots, crowd- sourced solution to an immediate, local need, according to littlefreepantry.org . Cinthia Vlaov- ich, executive director of operations, Mercy Clinic Northwest Arkansas, said the pantries were estab- lished in response to a growing population of people suffering from food insecurity. “When those people become our patients, it is very hard to help them with their health when they are hungry or don’t have access to healthy food options,” Vlaovich said. “Patients utilize them every single day, and we have had a lot of positive feedback and thankfulness for the food.” Lisa Low, MD, Mercy NWA’s community health medical director, added that the pantries were created “because of the passion and heart of our co-workers for helping those in need.” “It really is a grassroots movement coming straight from the physicians and co-workers,” she said. Potts said she would love to see Little Free Pan- tries at every Mercy location. “Mercy has a mission to care for those in need, whether it is the sick or the hungry, and this is a perfect way to expand our mission,” she said. Baptist Health Surgical and Specialty Clinic-Conway Welcomes Richard Rairigh, MD General surgeon Richard Rairigh, MD, recently joined Baptist Health Surgical and Specialty Clinic-Conway. Rairigh, a native of Daytona Beach, Florida, received a medical education from the East Ten- nessee State University Quillen College of Med- icine. He completed residency training from Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the Uni- versity of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. “I couple these values with skilled surgical care to heal my patients and avoid harm,” he said. “My goal is to provide excellent care, allowing each patient to perform at their highest capacity.” Baptist Health Surgical and Specialty Clinic- Conway is located on the second floor of Con- way Medical Park, directly behind the Caldwell Toyota dealership. It is located across the street from Baptist Health Medical Center-Conway. ADHEncourages Hepatitis CTesting, Prevention Arkansas is currently experiencing an increase of hepatitis C cases. The Arkansas Department of Health is encouraging those who feel they may have been exposed to get tested. Symptoms of hepatitis C include nausea, vom- iting, diarrhea, light-colored stool, loss of appe- tite, fever, abdominal pain, fatigue, joint pain, dark urine and/or jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes). Some people do not experience Hooman Motahari, MD