HJAR Jan/Feb 2022

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  JAN / FEB 2022 49 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalAR.com He earned his DDS and a PhD in pharmacol- ogy at the University of Texas Health Science Cen- ter in San Antonio. He completed his residency in orthodontics and a National Institutes of Health- fellowship in craniofacial anomalies at the Univer- sity of North Carolina (UNC). He held faculty posts at Indiana University and UNC before his recruit- ment to UAMS and Arkansas Children’s in 1997. In 1998, he was named Arkansas Children’s orth- odontic director, a position he has held since. Simmons has served in leadership positions with the Arkansas Association of Orthodontists, the Southwest Society of Orthodontists, the Amer- ican Association of Orthodontists and the Ameri- can Dental Association. He is a Fellow of the Inter- national College of Dentists. He has served since 2015 on the Facial Identification Subcommittee of the Organization of Scientific Advisory Com- mittees in the U.S. Department of Justice. He also serves as the orthodontic reviewer for program accreditation for the American Cleft Palate-Cra- niofacial Association. He has published exten- sively and has lectured internationally on his areas of expertise. Baptist Health Surgeon Offering NewMinimally Invasive Heart Surgery; Procedure is First of its Kind in State Baptist Health’s newest cardiothoracic sur- geon, Bryan Barrus, MD, is utilizing a new mini- mally invasive procedure he helped develop to implant HeartMate III devices in advanced heart failure patients. Baptist Health Heart Failure and Transplant Institute is the first in the state to per- form this innovative procedure which offers bet- ter outcomes and a quicker recovery. “Instead of implanting HeartMate pumps through a traditional sternotomy, we are now going in between the ribs – one incision on the left side and one on the right side to connect to the heart and aorta,” Barrus said of the technique. Baptist Health first introduced the HeartMate to Arkansas in 1999. Now in its third generation, the HeartMate III has the ability to assist the perfor- mance of the left side of the heart.Implanting a HeartMate III using this new procedure decreases the length of stay between 30 to 50 percent and decreases the chances of death. It also speeds up recovery time from six months to around two months. “To see patients go home in as little as four days, it’s incredible,” Barrus said. Barrus recently transferred to Baptist Health from University of Rochester Medical Center/ Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, where he helped develop this technique. He is one of the leading surgeons in the U.S. performing this min- imally invasive procedure. A native of Los Alamos, New Mexico, Barrus received his medical degree from Penn State College of Medicine and completed orthopae- dic and cardiothoracic residency training at the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York. He is board-certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. “I have been trained on and developed less invasive techniques that decrease trauma and accelerate recovery,” Barrus said. “I am involved in regional, national and international research so I can bring the best care and latest knowledge to my patients.” Baptist Health Heart Failure and Transplant Insti- tute offers a seamless care path for advanced heart failure patients who eventually require advanced heart failure therapies – from manage- ment to ventricular assist device to transplanta- tion. Recognized as a Blue Distinction Center for adult heart transplants by Blue Cross Blue Shield, it is also one of the most comprehensive heart transplant centers in the country. For more information about Barrus and this innovative procedure, visit baptist-health.com or call Baptist Health HealthLine at 1-888-BAPTIST. HillaryWilliams, MD, Movement Disorders Specialist, Joins UAMS Neurology Department Hillary Williams, MD, a specialist in movement disorders, has joined the Department of Neurol- ogy in the College of Medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) as an assistant professor. Williams is a native Arkansan who recently com- pleted a two-year fellowship in movement disor- ders at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, which Lee Archer, MD, chair of the UAMS Depart- ment of Neurology, called “one of the more pres- tigious movement disorder fellowships in the country.” She earned a medical degree at UAMS, where she also completed a residency in neurology. Her expertise and clinical interests in movement disorders include Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, Huntington’s disease, dystonia and ataxia. She is trained in deep brain stimulation program- ming and the administration of botulinum toxin. She places an emphasis on providing inclusive, affirming care. “Her addition puts us at four fellowship-trained movement disorder specialists and solidifies our position as a top movement disorder center in the region,” Archer said. “During her last year of resi- dency here, the graduating class of medical stu- dents voted her resident of the year, so we look forward to utilizing her teaching skills and her out- standing clinical skills.” Williams is seeing patients in the fifth-floor clinic at the Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute on UAMS’ Little Rock campus. n Bryan Barrus, MD Hillary Williams, MD