HJAR Jan/Feb 2025

48 JAN / FEB 2025  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS Hospital Rounds ACRI/UAMS Researcher to Focus on Asthma in Arkansas Kids Children who grow up in Arkansas have a harder time with asthma than their peers elsewhere, and a scientist at Arkansas Children’s Research Institute (ACRI) and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) hope to discover why. Akilah Jefferson, MD, MSc, an early career researcher at Arkansas Children’s Research Insti- tute, will use a $662,000 four-year award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to explore why asthma is uniquely troublesome for Arkansas chil- dren. Jefferson is also an assistant professor of pediatrics in the Division of Allergy and Immu- nology at UAMS College of Medicine. She treats children with allergies and immune conditions at Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) and Arkansas Children’s Northwest (ACNW). Asthma is among the most common child- hood conditions and can be especially daunting for children in under-resourced and rural areas. In Arkansas, children living in rural communities often face higher rates of asthma, especially those from minority backgrounds or low-income fami- lies. They are also much more likely to have com- plications from asthma that put their lives at risk. Jefferson and her research team will explore fac- tors like a child’s home environment, access to healthcare and the quality of care they receive. They will also examine how different communi- ties and healthcare providers might contribute to these disparities. “A child’s zip code should have nothing to do with how easy it is for them to breathe. Arkansas children need our help to determine why asthma is so challenging in our state and to create new ways to help them,” Jefferson said. “Our goal is to ensure that every child, regardless of where they live, has the chance to breathe easy and thrive." By learning more about these factors, Jefferson hopes to develop targeted interventions that can improve asthma outcomes for children in rural Arkansas. This could include providing better education about asthma management, increas- ing access to healthcare, or addressing environ- mental factors that can trigger asthma attacks. The funds are awarded through NIH’s Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development (K23) program, designed to provide “protected time” for clinically trained researchers to receive intensive, supervised research training in bio- medical research. The award supports a period of supervised research and research career devel- opment to prepare the candidate to successfully seek an NIH R01 or equivalent major research grant by the end of the award period. Tamara Perry, MD, chief of allergy and immunology at Arkansas Children’s and a professor of pediatrics in the UAMS College of Medicine, serves as Jef- ferson’s mentor on the project. This work was supported by the UAMS Transla- tional Research Institute, which is funded by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sci- ences at the National Institutes of Health, grant award Kl2 TR003108. Baptist Health Utilizing icometrix AI Technology for Neuroradiology Baptist Health is the first healthcare organization in Arkansas to utilize icometrix’s AI technology to improve neuroradiology services. Through this collaboration, icobrain, icome- trix’s advanced AI software, will be introduced at all Baptist Health imaging locations across Arkan- sas, starting in North Little Rock. The icobrain software uses artificial intelligence to analyze brain MRI scans. This helps radiologists and neurologists detect and monitor neurologi- cal conditions such as multiple sclerosis, demen- tia, and traumatic brain injury more quickly and accurately. icobrain uses artificial intelligence to assess brain volumes, abnormalities, and subtle brain volume changes over time. It aligns the brain scan with a reference atlas, and segments multi- ple brain structures to measure volumes, abnor- malities, and subtle changes over time. Tailored to a patient’s condition, brain volumes are measured and normalized for age, sex, and head size before comparing it to a normal reference database. The technology offers more personalized treat- ment plans and quicker diagnoses, allowing for earlier interventions when they matter most. Whitaker Family Foundation Donates $5M to Arkansas Children’s Northwest Expansion Arkansas Children’s announced a gift of $5 mil- lion from the Whitaker Family Foundation. “We are deeply committed to serving children and families in northwest Arkansas, including my own family,” said Larry Whitaker, chairman of the Whitaker Family Foundation. “Some of my grand- children have been patients at Arkansas Children’s Northwest (ACNW), and it is gratifying to know that philanthropic contributions helped bring ACNW to fruition, providing the 200,000 children living in this region convenient access to compre- hensive pediatric medical care.” NIHAwards ACRI $2.9M to Explore Cystic Fibrosis Therapy The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded $2.9 million to Arkansas Children’s Research Institute (ACRI) to examine how a crit- ical therapy for patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) might become even more effective at treating the genetic respiratory illness. The five-year study will be led by Jennifer S. Gui- mbellot, MD, chief of pediatric pulmonary and sleep medicine at Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) and the University of Arkansas for Medi- cal Sciences (UAMS), where she also serves as an associate professor of pediatrics. CF is a progressive disorder that severely dam- ages the lungs, digestive system and other organs by affecting cells that produce mucus, sweat and digestive juices. For decades, CF therapies focused on reducing the problems the condition caused and made it easier to live with the symp- toms. Improvements in screening and treatments helped people with CF live into their 40s and 50s. A triple drug therapy approved by the FDA in 2019 revolutionized cystic fibrosis care by correct- ing the defective protein in many patients and helping them maintain the balance of salt and Jennifer S. Guimbellot, MD