HJAR Jul/Aug 2023

64 JUL / AUG 2023  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS Hospital Rounds surgery and pediatric surgery, joined ACH and UAMS in 2007. He is professor and chief of the pediatric general surgery division in the UAMS College of Medicine’s Department of Surgery, and he serves as director of the Pediatric Surgery Fel- lowship at UAMS and Arkansas Children’s. Dass- inger is also active in research and plans to expand research efforts in his division. He is a member of many professional societies, such as the Ameri- can College of Surgeons, American Pediatric Sur- gical Association, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Kawatu, a board-certified pediatric gastroen- terologist who joined ACH and UAMS in 2018, is professor of pediatrics and chief of gastroenter- ology, hepatology, and nutrition. His clinical work includes building a new program-based pediatric gastroenterology section with a team of gastro- enterologists and advanced practice nurses who work in clinics across the state of Arkansas. Kawatu is in constant pursuit to learn more about pediat- ric gastroenterology and serves as co-investiga- tor or consulting investigator for several clinical research trials. Lyle is a board-certified neonatologist and pedi- atrician at ACH and a professor of pediatrics at UAMS. He serves as medical director of the ACH Complex Care Program and the ACH High Risk Newborn Program. Since joining ACH in 1991, Lyle has been instrumental in improving patient care in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). He also co-founded and co-developed, along with Patrick Casey, MD, the ACH Medical Home Program for Special Needs Children, which led to multiple publications and numerous awards. Perry is chief of allergy and immunology and a clinician scientist researcher at Arkansas Chil- dren’s Research Institute. She also serves as med- ical director of telemedicine at ACH and as a pro- fessor of pediatrics at UAMS. Perry is a member of many professional societies, including a fellow in the American Academy of Pediatrics and in the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immu- nology (AAAAI). She was elected to the national AAAAI Board of Directors (2020–2024), where she also serves on the executive committee. Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Partners Raise More Than $5.9 M for Arkansas Children’s More than 40 Children’s Miracle Network Hos- pitals (CMN Hospitals) partners from across the region celebrated Miracle Day with Arkansas Children’s on May 24. Together, the CMN Hospi- tals partners raised $5,933,408 in 2022 for Arkan- sas Children’s Hospital and Arkansas Children’s Northwest. Baptist Health Foundation Welcomes New BoardMember Baptist Health Foundation recently welcomed Ryan Fitzgerald, MD, of Radiology Consultants as a new board member. Panda Express Pledges Nearly $1.2 Million to Arkansas Children’s Arkansas Children's announced that Panda Express — through its philanthropic foundation, Panda Cares — pledged $1,171,840 to support the hospital school at Arkansas Children's Hos- pital (ACH). The Panda Express Hospital School Program serves patients through education, music therapy, and specialized autism services and is supported by the Panda Cares Center of Hope initiative. n Ryan Fitzgerald, MD