HJAR Jan/Feb 2024

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  JAN / FEB 2024 29 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalAR.com 73% of breaches in 1H 2023. Unauthorized access/disclosure was the second-most prevalent type in 1H 2023. • Network server breaches are responsi- ble for 97% of individual records affected, while only 2% can be attributed to email breaches. • Of the 40 million exposed records, 48% were linked to business associates, while 43% were associated with healthcare pro- viders. In the first half of 2023, 50% of indi- viduals impacted by a breach had a busi- ness associate present. California Bans 4 Dangerous Food, Drink Additives. Should Arkansas Be Next? Governor of California Gavin Newsom signed first-of-its-kind legislation to prohibit the use of four dangerous chemicals in processed foods and drinks sold in California. Authored by Assembly- member Jesse Gabriel (D-Encino), Assembly Bill (AB) 418 — the California Food Safety Act — would prohibit the manufacture, sale, or dis- tribution in California of any food product con- taining Red Dye No. 3, potassium bromate, bro- minated vegetable oil, or propyl paraben. The use of these chemicals has already been banned in the 27 nations in the European Union as well as many other countries due to scientific research linking them to significant health harms, including cancer, reproductive issues, and behavioral and developmental issues in children. “The Governor’s signature today represents a huge step forward in our effort to protect children and families in California from dangerous and toxic chemicals in our food supply,” said Assem- blymember Gabriel. “It’s unacceptable that the U.S. is so far behind the rest of the world when it comes to food safety. This bill will not ban any foods or products — it simply will require food companies to make minor modifications to their recipes and switch to the safer alternative ingredi- ents that they already use in Europe and so many other places around the globe.” Arkansas Urology Announces NewChief Financial Officer Martha Malek of Little Rock has joined Arkan- sas Urology as chief financial officer. Malek graduated from the University of Arkan- sas at Pine Bluff with a Bachelor of Science in business administration and finance and then earned a master’s in business administration from Arkansas Tech. Malek began her career working at Ally Financial and Arkansas Children’s in Little Rock. Most recently, she worked at Care IV Home Health where she served as revenue cycle man- ager before being promoted to vice president of finance and administration. Arkansas Department of Health Providing Oral Health Kits The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) Office of Oral Health is partnering with the Arkansas Foodbank Network to provide more than 5,000 oral health kits to Arkansans in need. The oral health kits, which include toothbrushes, toothpaste, and floss, are available to the Food- bank’s member organizations. “Oral health and proper nutrition are closely linked,” said Rachel Sizemore, MD, ADH director of the Office of Oral Health. “At the ADH Office of Oral Health, our priority is to help Arkansans take care of the teeth needed to digest healthy foods.” According to America’s Health Rankings 2022 Annual Report, Arkansas ranks last in the nation for the percentage of adults who reported vis- iting a dentist or dental clinic within the past year. Arkansas also ranks 49th in the nation for the number of adults and children who are food insecure. Food insecurity is an important risk fac- tor for poor oral health in people of all ages. Indi- viduals who are food insecure are more likely to have unmet dental care needs, which can lead to infections, eating difficulties, and tooth decay. Baptist HealthWomen’s Clinic-North Little Rock Adds Kevin Barber, MD Kevin Barber, MD, recently began seeing patients at Baptist Health Women’s Clinic-North Little Rock. Barber received a medical education from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, where he also completed residency training. UAMS, LRPDReceive $500K Grant to Create Police, Social Worker Response Teams A $500,000 grant from the federal Bureau of Justice Assistance will be used to create crisis response teams of Little Rock police officers and social workers that will be overseen by University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) medi- cal staff. The three-year grant, submitted by the Little Rock Police Department in collaboration with the UAMS Department of Psychiatry, will be used to hire four social workers to work with the police in situations involving individuals having a men- tal health crisis. The funding will also be used to train first responders on how to recognize a cri- sis situation and how to properly respond to it. Lisa Evans, PhD, director of the UAMS Pulaski County Regional Crisis Stabilization Unit and an associate professor in the Department of Psychi- atry, assisted with the grant application and will help train participants in the program, the first of its kind in Little Rock. Approximately half the people in U.S. jails and over one third of the population of U.S. pris- ons have been diagnosed with a mental illness, according to Evans. Martha Malek Kevin Barber, MD