HJAR Jul/Aug 2024

56 JUL / AUG 2024  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS Hospital Rounds mission by advocating for heart health and well- ness in minority communities. As the ABC’s 20th President, Fletcher will drive the organization’s national agenda to reduce cardiovascular disease through awareness and education; advocate for more diverse work- forces inclusive of African American cardiolo- gists, researchers, and providers; and establish an endowment to advance ABC’s programs. Fletcher, who practices at the CHI St. Vincent Cardiology and Medicine Clinic in Little Rock, has served patients across Central Arkansas for more than three decades, specializing in all aspects of clinical cardiology, with an emphasis on patient education and prevention, especially in minor- ity and underserved populations. Fletcher also serves as president of the Central Arkansas Ameri- can Heart Association and is an active member of the Arkansas Medical, Dental and Pharmaceutical Association. Fletcher is a graduate of Xavier Uni- versity and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in Ohio. Trenda Ray Joins Baptist HealthMedical Center-Conway as Chief Nursing Officer Baptist Health Medical Center-Conway recently welcomed Trenda Ray, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, as the hospital’s new chief nursing officer. Before joining Baptist Health Medical Center- Conway as CNO, Ray served for more than 12 years in various leadership roles at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, including serv- ing as chief nursing officer. She also served for more than 10 years at Arkansas Children’s Hospital as an RN, later an APRN in the CVICU, and served as the director for clinical operations in ambula- tory before leaving to join UAMS. Ray earned a Bachelor of Science in nursing from Henderson State University in Arkadelphia in 1997 after first earning an associate’s degree in nursing in 1993 from Garland County Community College. She earned a Master of Science in nurs- ing in 2000 and a PhD in Nursing in 2010, both from UAMS. RustinMorse, MD, Named as SVP, Chief Administrator of Arkansas Children’s Northwest Arkansas Children’s will welcome healthcare executive Rustin Morse, MD, to the role of senior vice president and chief administrator for Arkan- sas Children’s Northwest (ACNW). Morse, who will begin at ACNW in July, has spent his career serving large, multihospital pedi- atric health systems in leadership roles including chief quality officer and chief medical officer. A dual board-certified pediatrician and pedi- atric emergency medicine specialist, Morse has most recently served as chief medical officer for Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. In 2022, Morse also became the John F. Wolfe Endowed Chair in Medical Leadership and Pediatric Quality and Safety. He practiced clinically during his tenure, while also serving as a professor at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. Morse received a bachelor’s degree from the State University of New York at Oswego and a medical degree from the State University of New York Health Science Center at Syracuse (now Upstate Medical University). He then completed a pediatric residency at Children’s Hospital of Pitts- burgh and a pediatric emergency medicine fellow- ship at Children’s Memorial Hospital (now Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago). After finishing the fellowship in 2001, he joined the medical staff at Phoenix Children’s Hospital and in 2008 began serving as the medical director for quality. In 2012, he received a Master of Med- ical Management degree from the University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business and relocated to Texas to become the chief qual- ity officer at Children’s Medical Center of Dallas, now part of Children’s Health. Morse replace former Chief Administrator Shan- non Hendrix, who departed in January. CHI St. Vincent’s Angie Longing Awarded DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award CHI St. Vincent announced that Senior Vice President and Chief Nurse Executive Angie Longing has been awarded the DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award. The DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award goes to nurses who have had distinguished careers and promoted a positive image of the profession. Honorees must have advocated for improved patient care, served as a role model and advo- cate for nursing practice, and demonstrated and actively engaged in professional development for themselves and others. They must also have more than 25 years of service in the profession. Longing has held multiple leadership positions at CHI St. Vincent. Those roles include executive director for hospital-based physician practices; executive director of nursing for CHI St. Vincent Infirmary, CHI St. Vincent North and CHI St. Vin- cent Morrilton; and chief nursing officer at CHI St. Vincent Morrilton. Longing also holds a board cer- tificate as a nurse executive. She holds a bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of Central Arkansas and a master’s in health services management fromWebster Uni- versity in Little Rock. Arkansas Children’s Hospital Auxiliary Donates $1.55M to Support Hospital Expansion The Arkansas Children's Hospital (ACH) Auxiliary announced a record-breaking donation of $1.55 million from its annual fundraising efforts over the past year. This contribution marks the 14th con- secutive year the ACH Auxiliary has raised more than $1 million for the hospital, and it stands as the largest gift in the auxiliary's 57-year history. Sara Beth Hughes, president of the ACH Aux- iliary, presented a check to Fred Scarborough, executive vice president and chief development officer for Arkansas Children's, during the Auxil- iary's year-end celebration on May 21. The funds will be directed towards the hospital's largest-ever expansion project, which aims to enhance patient care and transform the campus experience. n Rustin Morse, MD