HJAR Jan/Feb 2022

48 JAN / FEB 2022  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS Hospital Rounds Arkansas Children’s Innovation Center Announces NewHealthcare Technology Hackathon Arkansas Children’s Innovation Center, in part- nership with Arkansas entrepreneurial support organizations, will present a 48-hour digital health challenge featuring a $10,000 cash prize. The event, known as a hackathon, will be held from Jan.21-23, 2022. “Arkansas Children’s is committed to improv- ing child health through innovation,” said Rick Barr, MD, MBA, chief clinical and academic offi- cer for Arkansas Children’s. “This type of event creates an exciting challenge for software devel- opers across the state to build solutions that will positively impact pediatric healthcare.” The event is a collaborative effort with Arkan- sas Children’s, Cartwheel Startup Studio, Startup Junkie Consulting, HealthTech Arkansas and the Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas. Participants in the competition will work alongside Arkansas Children’s clinicians and administrators to solve real-world pediatric health- care problems. “The differentiating factor for our hackathon participants is they’re working on validated user problems and they have the interest of Arkansas Children’s to pilot the solutions that are built,” said Joshua Stanley, managing partner at Cartwheel Startup Studio. “That’s a big advantage for par- ticipants, and it’s why our organization is excited to partner with Arkansas Children’s in this project.” The digital health hackathon supports Arkansas Children’s mission to improve the health and well- being of children in Arkansas and beyond. “The Arkansas Children’s Innovation Center has taken a comprehensive approach to building a culture of innovation, and this collaborative hack- athon is a tangible example of how we’re utilizing the strengths of entrepreneurial services organiza- tions in the state to help us meet our innovation goals,” said Barry Brady, chief operating officer of Arkansas Children’s Research Institute. CHI St. Vincent North Earns National Recognition for Efforts to Improve Stroke Treatment CHI St. Vincent North, the home of the CHI St. Vincent Arkansas Neuroscience Institute, has received the American Heart Association’s Bronze Get With The Guidelines-Stroke Quality Achieve- ment Award for the hospital’s commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appro- priate treatment according to nationally recog- nized, research-based guidelines. “CHI St. Vincent North is honored to be recog- nized by the American Heart Association for our dedication to helping patients have the best pos- sible chance of survival during and after a stroke,” said Shawn Barnett, president of CHI St. Vincent North. “Get With The Guidelines-Stroke makes it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis to improve out- comes for stroke patients.” “We are pleased to recognize CHI St. Vincent North for their commitment to stroke care,” said Lee H. Schwamm, MD, national chairperson of the Quality Oversight Committee and executive vice chair of neurology, director of acute stroke services at Massachusetts General Hospital. “Research has shown that hospitals adhering to clinical measures through the Get With The Guidelines quality improvement initiative can often see fewer read- missions and lower mortality rates.” Washington Regional Offers Aquablation Therapy to Treat BPH Washington Regional now offers Aquablation therapy for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or enlarged prostate. BPH is a noncancerous condition where the prostate has grown to be larger than normal. Half of men ages 51 to 60 have BPH, and the incidence increases every decade of life. If left untreated, BPH can lead to significant health problems, including permanent bladder or kidney damage, bladder stones and incontinence. Surgical treatments offer symptom relief but may lead to unwanted complications, such as incontinence and sexual dysfunction. Aquablation therapy is a minimally invasive treatment that uses the power of water delivered with robotic preci- sion to provide long-lasting symptom relief with low rates of irreversible complications. “We are proud to be among the first in Arkansas to offer this option for men with BPH,” said Mark Jackson, MD, service chair of urology department at Washington Regional Medical Center. “Aqua- blation therapy uses a stream of water to remove prostate tissue and allows the urologist to map the prostate live during the procedure using both a camera and real time ultrasound mapping. This allows a defined amount of prostate tissue to be removed and leads to great outcomes. This sys- tem can also drastically cut down on surgical time, which means less time under an anesthetic for the patient.” UAMS Names Kirt Simmons, DDS, PhD, Chair of Department of Pediatric and Special Needs Dentistry The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has appointed Kirt Simmons, DDS, PhD, as chair of the Department of Pediatric and Spe- cial Needs Dentistry. He has served as the depart- ment’s interim chair since August 2020. A professor in the UAMS College of Medicine, Simmons is a nationally recognized leader in orth- odontic care for patients with cleft/craniofacial anomalies, growth disorders, and special needs such as Down syndrome, autism and other condi- tions. He is also a leading expert in facial growth, development and identification, and orthodontic and dental digital standards. “I am delighted that Dr. Simmons has agreed to take on this role,” said Susan Smyth, MD, PhD, UAMS executive vice chancellor and dean of the College of Medicine. “A longtime leader at UAMS and Arkansas Children’s, he has done a wonder- ful job as interim chair. I know the department is in good hands.” Kirt Simmons, DDS, PhD