HJAR Sep/Oct 2022

64 SEP / OCT 2022  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS Hospital Rounds Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. A hospital’s regional ranking status is assessed by evaluating the total number of spe- cialties the hospital was ranked in — better rank- ings are assigned to hospitals with more nation- ally ranked service lines. Amanda Cheatham, APRN, Joins Washington Regional Hospitalists Amanda Cheatham, APRN, recently joined the Washington Regional Hospitalists group, where she evaluates and treats hospitalized patients. Cheatham earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice and a Master of Science in Nursing from the Uni- versity of South Alabama and a Bachelor of Sci- ence in Nursing from the University of Arkansas Fort Smith. She has more than 15 years’ experi- ence in healthcare and most recently worked as a critical care advanced practice provider. BCMC Names Huitt CEO After Interim Stint Bradley County Medical Center announced that it has removed the interim label from Leslie Huitt’s title as she officially takes over the role of chief executive officer for the hospital. Huitt has been operating as the interim CEO along with fulfilling chief financial officer duties since November of last year. In the last seven months, Huitt has overseen the process of devel- oping a master plan for BCMC with eyes set to the future of the hospital. Additionally, the hos- pital was recently awarded a USDA grant and is currently in the process of installing a new CT scanner. During Huitt’s interim tenure, BCMC was one of only 11 hospitals in Arkansas to be recognized by the National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health with a Performance Leadership Award in Quality. In March, Bradley County Medical Cen- ter was named a National Silver Certified Sleep Hospital. “We have an amazing staff here at BCMC,” Huitt said. “I wouldn’t be where I am or able to do what I do without such and amazing support staff around me. I am excited for the future of BCMC!” Huitt is a certified public accountant and has more than 20 years of accounting experience with more than eight years of time in manage- ment positions and has been with Bradley County Medical Center since May 2020. Prior to her post at BCMC, Huitt served as an auditor for the Division of Legislative Audit in Arkansas after she spent several years as the busi- ness manager and district treasurer for the Hermit- age School District. Huitt also spent a number of years as a teacher at Hermitage before becoming the business manager and district treasurer for the school district. Additionally, Huitt had a stint as an accountant at Murphy Oil Company before the positions in the Hermitage School District. Huitt is a 1998 graduate of Hermitage High School and graduated from the University of Arkansas-Monticello in 2002 with a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting. She then earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Harding University in 2006. Conway Regional Medical Center Recognized by AHA The American Heart Association (AHA) has awarded its Mission: Lifeline STEMI Receiving Center Gold Plus recognition to Conway Regional Medical Center for treating patients according to the most up-to-date, research-based guidelines for STEMI care as outlined by the American Heart Association. This is the second consecutive year that Conway Regional has achieved Gold Plus status. The AHA established the Mission: Lifeline STEMI Receiving Center initiative to recognize hospitals for their outstanding performance in offering rapid, research-based care to people experienc- ing a specific type of heart attack known as an ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), known to be more severe and dangerous than other types of heart attacks. “Our team of interventional cardiologists, nurses, and cardiovascular technologists work extremely hard to provide an exceptionally high level of care to the community. This recogni- tion is a monumental achievement towards our mission to provide high-quality, compassionate health care to our communities,” said Matt Troup, president and CEO of Conway Regional Health System. Recognition as a Mission: Lifeline Receiving Center is designed to showcase hospitals that provide 24/7 support for STEMI. These important facilities coordinate with a network of referring hospitals and emergency medical services to pro- vide guideline-directed STEMI and NSTEMI care. Baptist Health-UAMS Medical Education Program Celebrates First Graduating Class of Residents TThe Baptist Health-University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Medical Education Program celebrated its first graduating class of residents on the campus of Baptist Health Medical Center- North Little Rock on June 17. Speaking at the celebration were Troy Wells, president and CEO of Baptist Health; Cam Pat- terson, MD, chancellor of the University of Arkan- sas for Medical Sciences (UAMS); and graduates of the program. Mindful of the national shortage of primary care physicians and the expanding health care needs in Arkansas, Baptist Health and the UAMS College of Medicine partnered to create four residency pro- grams: internal medicine, family medicine, tran- sitional year, and psychiatry. At their full comple- ment, the programs will collectively graduate 40 physicians into the medical community each year. The residency programs, ranging in length between one to four years, provide quality train- ing and are accredited by the Accrediting Coun- cil of Graduate Medical Education. Residents are part of patient care teams with experienced fac- ulty, nursing staff, and ancillary providers. Baptist Health Medical Center-North Little Rock was chosen as the primary site for the Bap- tist Health-UAMS Medical Education Program, as it serves a community-based population in excess of 250,000 people. n Leslie Huitt