HJAR Jul/Aug 2022

64 JUL / AUG 2022  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS Hospital Rounds has also achieved a board certificate as a nurse executive. “I have always been an advocate for nurses and knew this was my path from a very early age,” said Longing. “I feel it’s my duty to ensure our coworkers providing direct patient care have the resources and support they need to provide the exceptional, compassionate care our patients deserve. Being able to serve my home state in this role is an incredible honor.” Longing earned a Bachelor of Science in nursing from the University of Central Arkansas and com- pleted a master’s in health services management at Webster University in Little Rock. CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs Offers Aquablation Therapy CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs will become the first hospital in Southwest Arkansas to offer Aquabla- tion therapy. The new minimally invasive, robotic- assisted procedure is for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) due to benign pros- tatic hyperplasia (BPH), commonly referred to as an enlarged prostate. “Aquablation therapy is another step for- ward in our commitment to providing the most advanced treatments to our patients across South- west Arkansas,” said CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs President Douglas Ross, MD. “As many as half of men over age 51 can suffer from an enlarged prostate and we’re honored to be the first to offer this minimally invasive, robotic-assisted option to bring them another avenue for relief without compromise.” Symptoms of LUTS include a weak stream, nighttime urination, significant urge to urinate, urinary frequency, incomplete emptying of the bladder, difficulty starting a stream, and starting/ stopping of a stream. Aquablation therapy is per- formed by the AquaBeam Robotic System, the first FDA-cleared, surgical robot utilizing auto- mated tissue resection for the treatment of LUTS due to BPH. It utilizes the power of water deliv- ered with robotic precision to provide long-last- ing symptom relief with low rates of irreversible complications. “This new therapy gives our patients a real, via- ble option when it comes to treatment of LUTS,” said CHI St. Vincent Urologist Nathan Little- john, MD. “Instead of trading symptom relief for undesirable side effects, this gives them a choice that offers much needed relief along with a lower risk of complications.” Other surgical treatments for BPH include a trade-off between symptom relief and side effects, limiting patients to choose between either a high degree of symptom relief with high rates of irre- versible complications (such as incontinence, erectile dysfunction, or ejaculatory dysfunction) or low degree of symptom relief with low rates of irreversible complications. If left untreated, BPH can cause significant health problems, including irreversible bladder or kidney damage, bladder stones, and incontinence. Arkansas Children’s Hospital Auxiliary Donates $1.4M to ACH The Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) Auxiliary donated $1.4 million to Arkansas Children’s Hos- pital to support pediatric care for the children and families of Arkansas and beyond. “The ACH Auxiliary is so proud to support Arkansas Children’s Hospital,” said Ashley Parker, 2022 ACH Auxiliary president. “The past few years have brought a number of challenges, but we are incredibly thankful for our donors, members and leaders who help support the mission of making children better today and healthier tomorrow.” Since 2011, the ACH Auxiliary has raised more than $1 million annually to support Arkansas Chil- dren’s Hospital. “We are grateful for the ACH Auxiliary’s com- mitment to Arkansas Children’s Hospital,” said Fred Scarborough, president of the Arkansas Chil- dren’s Foundation. “The Auxiliary’s devoted work, incredible ability to fundraise, and passionate vol- unteerism is inspiring and plays a critical role in Arkansas Children’s long-standing commitment to provide healthcare to the children of Arkansas.” Founded in 1967, the ACH Auxiliary raises funds through annual initiatives, including the Holiday Card Project, Miracle Ball, a la Carte, ACHievers, Playaway Gift Shop, and the Race for a Healthier Tomorrow. The funds received by The ACH Auxil- iary’s annual gift supports programs and services, including child abuse and prevention services, Arkansas Children’s Research Institute, and the Palliative Care Program. With nearly 450 members, the 501(c)(3) orga- nization has served children and families for 55 years through fundraising and service projects, all in pursuit of a healthier tomorrow for the children of Arkansas and beyond. CHI St. Vincent Infirmary Receives National Recognition for Heart Attack Treatment CHI St. Vincent Infirmary is one of only 240 hos- pitals nationwide to receive the American College of Cardiology’s NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2022. The award recognizes CHI St. Vincent Infir- mary’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients and signifies that the healing ministry has reached an aggressive goal of treating patients to standard levels of care as outlined by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association clinical guidelines and recommendations. “Our cardiologists, surgeons and entire health- care team are consistently raising the bar for what Arkansans can expect from quality heart care right here close to home,” said CHI St. Vincent Heart Institute President Marcia Atkinson. “This repeated recognition and honor from the Ameri- can College of Cardiology shows that we’re not only meeting standards, but exceeding them year after year.” To receive the Chest Pain – MI Registry Plati- num Performance Achievement Award, the Infir- mary demonstrated sustained achievement in the Chest Pain – MI Registry for two consecutive years (2020 and 2021) and performed at the high- est level for specific performance measures. Full participation in the registry engages hospitals in a robust quality improvement process using data to drive improvements in adherence to guideline recommendations and overall quality of care pro- vided to heart attack patients. “It is an honor to award CHI St. Vincent Infir- mary with the Platinum Performance Award for their valuable national leadership and dedication to meeting comprehensive performance mea- sures in patient care,” said Michael C. Kontos, MD, FACC, chair of the NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry Steering Subcommittee, and cardiolo- gist at Virginia Commonwealth University Medi- cal Center. “The receipt of this award indicates that CHI St. Vincent remains committed to pro- viding top quality, guideline-driven care for heart