HJAR Nov/Dec 2022

30 NOV / DEC 2022  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS   Healthcare Briefs BeWell Arkansas Creates Campaign to Enhance Youth Nicotine Prevention Efforts Be Well Arkansas, a program of the Arkansas Department of Health’s Tobacco Prevention and Cessation branch, has created and launched the new Coral’s Reef campaign to reach younger Arkansans with tobacco and nicotine prevention messaging. This campaign is the only one of its kind avail- able in the U.S. ADH staff consulted with experts and researched interests for children in the five to seven years age group to create balanced and engaging materials. The goal is to reach children with prevention and educational information at an early age to prevent initiation into tobacco and nicotine use as they get older. According to a data analysis on the initiation of electronic cigarette use among youth in the U.S., e-cigarette smoking can begin as young as seven years of age. In Arkansas, the percentage of high school students who use e-cigarettes is now more than double the percentage of high school students who smoke. With e-cigarette usage becoming more frequent among younger children, the need for effective prevention mes- saging for young Arkansans has become crucial. The Coral’s Reef campaign will feature a series of animated videos, each tailored to address the dangers of tobacco and nicotine use. In addition to the videos, free printable materials are avail- able for download from the Be Well Arkansas website to accompany the videos. Currently, the first episode of the campaign is available to watch on the Be Well Arkansas website. To learn more about the Coral’s Reef campaign and other youth education efforts, visit bewellar- kansas.org and click the “Youth Education” tab. Arkansas Medicaid Director Selected for National Medicaid Leadership Institute Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced that Arkansas Department of Human Services Deputy Director for Health and Medicaid Director Dawn Stehle is one of six Medicaid directors chosen to partici- pate in the Medicaid Leadership Institute (MLI), a national initiative led by the Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) and made possible by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). The program offers a unique opportunity for Medic- aid directors and their key staff from across the U.S. to enhance the skills necessary to success- fully lead their state programs, impact health out- comes, and advance health equity. “I am honored to participate in the Medicaid Leadership Institute,” Stehle said. “This program has a strong track record of helping Medicaid directors positively impact the health of those enrolled in Medicaid. It is an exciting opportu- nity to further strengthen our Medicaid program.” Stehle was competitively selected to participate in the leadership development program along with five additional Medicaid directors from Cal- ifornia, Connecticut, Idaho, South Dakota, and Utah. “Medicaid directors and their staff have an incredible opportunity to ensure people who use Medicaid can easily access and obtain qual- ity healthcare and related services,” said Marjo- rie Paloma, MPH, interim vice president, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “Medicaid plays a vital role for those facing some of the greatest social and economic inequities, and our com- mitment to leadership development for these state officials helps promote innovative thinking to address social and economic factors, engage with communities, and collaborate with public health and community organizations.” During the 10-month-long program, fellows will gain skills in critical areas, including fostering delivery system innovation, leading effective mul- tisector collaboration, advancing health equity for Medicaid enrollees, engaging key stakeholders, communicating the impact of their programs, and developing leaders of the future. Bradley C. Houston, MD, Joins Arkansas Urology Practice in Conway Arkansas Urology announced that Bradley C. Houston, MD, has joined its practice in Conway. A graduate of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and the University of Tennes- see Health Science Center in Memphis, Houston began seeing patients at Arkansas Urology’s Con- way and Russellville locations on Aug. 29. “We are proud that an accomplished young urologist like Dr. Brad Houston would choose to begin his medical career with Arkansas Urology,” said Arkansas Urology CEO E. Scot Davis. “From our first meeting with him, it was clear that Dr. Houston was a standout candidate. With his edu- cation and experience, particularly in the area of next-generation treatments for urologic cancers, we knew he would be a worthy addition to our team. We’re excited to see him put his knowl- edge, caring and expertise to work helping urol- ogy patients in Conway and Central Arkansas.” Houston obtained a Bachelor of Science in Biol- ogy at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville in 2011. After graduating with honors with a Mas- ter of Public Health from the University of Arkan- sas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) in 2013, he went on to receive an MD from UAMS in 2017. While in medical school, Houston was a recipient of a Barton Foundation Scholarship, one of the oldest and most prestigious awards offered by the Col- lege of Medicine. Houston completed a general surgery internship in 2018 followed by a urology residency in June 2022, both at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. During residency, Houston co-authored several extensive research papers and presentations on the treatment of prostate and kidney cancer. BenjaminMartin, MD, Joins CHI St. Vincent Primary Care Clinic in Arkadelphia CHI St. Vincent announced that Benjamin Mar- tin, MD, has joined the team of leading physicians at the CHI St. Vincent Primary Care Clinic in Ark- adelphia. Martin is seeing patients at the clinic located at 3004 Pine Street. After attending medical school at the Univer- sity of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Martin Bradley C. Houston, MD