HJAR Jan/Feb 2023

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  JAN / FEB 2023 61 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalAR.com April Bennett, MSN, CHFP, RN Rockefeller Cancer Institute. His research has been consistently funded by the National Institutes of Health for more than 25 years, and he is routinely named to the Castle Connolly “Best Doctors in America” list. Emanuel attended medical school at the Uni- versity of Wisconsin and completed an internship and residency at the University of Alabama at Bir- mingham Hospital. After a fellowship in hematol- ogy/oncology at UAB, he worked as a professor in the Department of Medicine, Genetics, and Bio- chemistry at UAB. He was acting director of UAB’s Comprehensive Cancer Institute before going to UAMS in 2007. CHI St. Vincent and National ParkMedical Center Partner to Present Hot Springs Sweethearts Class of 2022–2023 For the first time, National Park Medical Center (NPMC) and CHI St. Vincent Hot Springs joined forces to present the 2022–2023 American Heart Association (AHA) Hot Springs Sweethearts pro- gram. This year’s program, which welcomed 41 young women from the Garland County area, marks its 17th year. The Hot Springs Sweethearts consist of high school sophomores and juniors who have committed to improve heart health in their community by learning about cardiovascular diseases, leading healthy lifestyles, and participat- ing in heart healthy activities. “This is an exciting moment for the Hot Springs Sweethearts because this year’s class will have access to the widest range of heart health resources, medical professionals and life changing experiences thanks to the now combined efforts of CHI St. Vincent and National Park Medical Cen- ter,” said Hot Springs Sweethearts founder and chair, Kathryn Russell. “We are thankful for their support and look forward to what this means for this year’s sweethearts.” Between October and February, the sweet- hearts will participate in a now expanded range of educational opportunities, heart-healthy activ- ities, and community involvement. Some activ- ities include CPR certification, fundraising for the American Heart Association, cath lab tours, volunteer opportunities, and other educational programs. “The sweethearts’ program has been incredibly successful and beneficial to the Hot Springs-area as we engage more and more people in the fight against heart disease. We had long discussed join- ing forces with CHI St. Vincent to make the pro- gram even stronger in the future and decided that this is the right moment,” said NPMC CEO Scott Smith. “This collaboration marks a great step for- ward for our community as we all work together for the common good.” The Hot Springs Sweethearts was founded by Paul and Kathryn Russell who established the program in memory of their daughter, Caroline Grace, who was lost at age two following a sus- pected undetected heart condition. “The disproportionately high rate of heart dis- ease in Arkansas is a generational challenge and it begins with young people like our Hot Springs Sweethearts who make a commitment to not only learn about heart healthy lifestyles and activities, but to put them into practice for themselves, their families and their communities,” said CHI St. Vin- cent Hot Springs President Douglas Ross, MD. “We’re honored to partner with our colleagues at National Park Medical Center to make this year’s program the best and most successful experience possible.” The 2022–2023 program will culminate with the introduction of the sweethearts at the AHA Heart Ball on Feb. 11, 2023 in Hot Springs. The sweetheart who demonstrates the greatest dedi- cation to the program and the most knowledge about cardiovascular disease will receive the title of Sweetheart of the Ball and will receive the $2,000 Caroline Grace Russell Memorial Scholar- ship. Other recognitions will include a Leadership Award with a $500 scholarship presented by Tim English, MD, and Cindy English in honor of their daughter Lauren’s involvement with the AHA. The very special Catie Cooper Spirit Award, created in memory of 2010 “forever sweetheart” Catie Coo- per who was tragically lost during her tenure as a sweetheart, will also be awarded the night of the Heart Ball. April Bennett Named President of Baptist Health Medical Center-Conway Baptist Health has named April Bennett, MSN, CHFP, RN, as the new president of Baptist Health Medical Center-Conway. Serving as the hospital's chief nursing officer since 2020, Bennett has supported the opening and expansion of multiple specialties including the hospital’s inpatient rehabilitation unit, interme- diate care unit, and medical/surgical unit as well as the opening of a new intensive care unit and medical/surgical unit. Her successes also include decreasing bedside RN turnover, recruiting and replacing RN travelers with full-time staff, and growing the inpatient census by 20%. In addition to her leadership of BHMC-Conway, Bennett also leads the medical/surgical nursing consortium for all 11 of Baptist Health’s hospitals. Bennett received a Bachelor of Science in nurs- ing fromMissouri Southern University and a Mas- ter of Science in nursing from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. UAMS, Arkansas Children’s Launch Program to Improve Mental Healthcare for Children The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) has been awarded more than $2 million in federal grant money to equip and support pri- mary care providers across the state to screen, diagnose, treat, and refer children with behavioral health conditions. With the grant money, the UAMS College of Medicine Department of Pediatrics, under an agreement with Arkansas Children’s, is develop- ing a program called Children of Arkansas Men- tal Health in Primary Care (CHAMP). The program’s primary goal is to promote the integration of behavioral health in pediatric pri- mary care in Arkansas by linking primary care phy- sicians around the state with a pediatric mental