HJAR Nov/Dec 2024

28 NOV / DEC 2024  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS   Healthcare Briefs UAMS College of Nursing Professor Receives Grant to Enhance Arkansas’ Newborn Screening Program Laura Hays, PhD, APRN, associate professor in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Nursing, has received a four- year, $1.4 million federal grant to expand and enhance the Arkansas Department of Health’s Newborn Screening Program. The new project, known as the Arkansas Coordi- nated NBS Expansion through Collaboration and Technology (AR CNECT) Program, will improve the efficacy of the state’s newborn screening efforts by creating a comprehensive educational program for health providers and families. Hays and her team also plan to raise public awareness of the Newborn Screening Program and its impor- tance for children born with genetic disorders. The AR CNECT Program will also expand the state’s outreach to families of infants found to have genetic conditions, ensuring that they have access to educational and supportive ser- vices. Hays said the program will work with UAMS Regional Campuses, the UAMS Institute for Dig- ital Health & Innovation, and other partners to reach underserved communities through digital health services. Among those who will benefit are the families of infants identified as having hemoglobinopa- thy traits such as sickle cell. Each year, more than 1,000 newborns in Arkansas carry a hemoglobin- opathy trait, which affects the hemoglobin in red blood cells and can be passed to future genera- tions, Hays said. “In the past, families received notification and education about these conditions through the mail,” she said. “Our program will allow for the addition of a full-time, licensed social worker to consult with the families and connect them to available services.” The grant was awarded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Hays has served as a clinical consultant for the Newborn Screening Program for the past nine years. The program helps ensure that newborns are tested for dozens of medical conditions that, if left untreated, can affect their physical and men- tal development or threaten their lives. “By empowering families and connecting them to resources in their communities, our goal is to reduce health disparities and ensure that all Arkansans can have a proactive role in their new- borns’ healthcare,” she said. CHI St. VincentWelcomes John Fanous, MD CHI St. Vincent announced the addition of pul- monologist John Fanous, MD, to its team of spe- cialists at CHI St. Vincent Pulmonology and Criti- cal Care in Little Rock. Before joining CHI St. Vincent, Fanous served as an instructor of medicine and chief fellow at the Mayo Clinic School of Medicine in Phoe- nix. He has also held the role of chief resident at Texas Tech University Health Science Center in Lubbock, Texas, and worked as a problem-based learning facilitator for the University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. Fanous completed a medical education at the University of Sharjah, followed by an internal medicine residency at the Zayed Military Hospi- tal in Abu Dhabi and another at the Texas Health Science Center. He completed a fellowship in pul- monary and critical care medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix. Fanous has contributed to numerous research publications and presentations, focusing on mechanical ventilation strategies, sepsis manage- ment, and pulmonary hypertension. His expertise extends to a wide range of pulmonary conditions, including asthma and interstitial lung diseases. Fanous is board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in internal medicine, has earned the Mayo Clinic Quality Fellow Bronze Level Certification, and is expected to complete a fellowship of the American College of Physi- cians later this year. Baptist Health’s Clinics Recognized with NRC Health Excellence in Patient Experience Award Baptist Health’s clinics have been honored by NRC Health with the 2024 Excellence in Patient Experience - Medical Group Award. Baptist Health’s clinics were selected for this first place ranking in the medical group category. Win- ners are annually selected based on receipt of exceptional real-time patient feedback Net Pro- moter Score (NPS) scores. “We are honored to be recognized for our ongoing commitment to quality, compassionate care that Arkansans have trusted Baptist Health to deliver for more than a century,” said Will Rusher, vice president of Practice Plus and CEO of Arkan- sas Health Group. “This achievement would not be possible without the support of our caregiv- ers who make patient experience a top priority day in and day out.” UAMS, UA, and Arkansas Children’s Research Institute Collaborate onMaternal Health Research The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville and the Arkansas Children’s Research Institute (ACRI) are collaborating on a yearlong project to make decades of maternal health research read- ily available for future researchers. The project is funded by a $310,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in the form of a supplemental award to Lawrence E. Cornett, PhD, a professor in the UAMS College of Medi- cine Department of Physiology and Cell Biology. Cornett directs the Arkansas IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) pro- gram, which since 2001 has been building a bio- medical research infrastructure across the state that includes programs for undergraduate stu- dents and faculty. The $310,000 award is a supplement to the five- year $18.4 million NIH Institutional Development Award (IDeA) grant that continues the Arkansas John Fanous, MD