HJAR Jan/Feb 2025

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  JAN / FEB 2025 49 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalAR.com water in their affected organs. The triple com- bination therapy results in thinned mucus and reduces patients’ risk of infection and inflamma- tion, often greatly improving quality of life and giv- ing patients a chance to live decades longer than experts expected even five years ago. “Triple combination therapy has changed the way we thought about life with cystic fibrosis,” Guimbellot said. “Patients are engaging in activi- ties that may have been limited just a decade ago – running marathons, having long-term careers and families, and planning for a much longer lifespan.” As the use of triple combination therapy has become widespread, pulmonologists have noted that a significant number of people with CF do not show the same robust response and others develop side effects that make continuing the therapy a challenge, such as drug-induced liver injury or neuropsychological side effects. Recent studies have shown the majority of patients will experience some kind of side effect, but the drug’s overall benefits drive people to continue using it. Guimbellot and her research team think that the way the body handles the drug may help us know how a patient will respond to the drug. They are also exploring the possibility that genetic varia- tion may cause altered activity, which results in the drug being less effective and having differ- ent side effects. The team will conduct an observational study of triple combination therapy in people with CF to determine if there is a precise dose that works best for each person. Guimbellot has assembled a unique team with decades of experience in clini- cal trials, pharmacology, genetics, statistics, phar- macogenetics, psychology, and drug metabolism to run the study. “Together, we will shift the paradigm of care for cystic fibrosis by improving the understand- ing of the optimal concentration and dosing for each patient’s lung function and tolerance of ther- apy,” Guimbellot said. “Our goal is to transition the standard of care to a truly personalized and patient-centered approach to modulator therapy.” Angie Longing Named President of CHI St. Vincent Morrilton CHI St. Vincent has appointed Chief Nurse Exec- utive Angie Longing, MHSM, BSN, RN, NE-BC as president of CHI St. Vincent Morrilton. In her new position, Longing will continue to serve as chief nurse executive for the CHI St. Vincent Arkansas market. Longing moves into the role after former CHI St. Vincent Morrilton President Bubba Arnold retired in late September. Longing began working with CHI St. Vincent in 1994, beginning her career as a labor and deliv- ery nurse at CHI St. Vincent Morrilton. She has also held various leadership roles, including 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 holds a bachelor's degree in nurs- ing from the University of Central Arkansas and a master’s in health services management from Webster University in Little Rock. She also holds a board certificate as a nurse executive, and was honored with the DAISY Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024. Arkansas Children’s President, CEOHonored with Executive Endowed Chair The inaugural recipient and steward of the Sasha and Terry Freeman Endowed Chair in Healthcare Administration and Executive Leadership is Arkan- sas Children’s president and chief executive offi- cer, Marcy Doderer, FACHE. Doderer has led Arkansas Children’s for more than a decade. Terry and Sasha Freeman of Russellville donated $1 million to establish the endowed chair, and it has been matched by a $1 million grant from the Arkansas Children’s legacy match campaign. Nabholz Charitable Foundation Contributes $1M to Arkansas Children’s Hospital The Nabholz Charitable Foundation has donated $1 million towards Arkansas Children’s Hospital’s expansion project. Nabholz has been a long-standing partner of Arkansas Children's since the 1970s, when founder Bob Nabholz joined the Arkansas Children’s Board of Directors. With the Nabholz gift, companies, individu- als and organizations have donated $12.1 mil- lion toward the $253.2 million expansion project at ACH. The Nabholz gift amount was included within the previously reported total in a press release sent July 22, 2024. Jake Nabholz, CEO of Nabholz Corporation, serves as chairman of the Arkansas Children’s Foundation Board of Directors. Baptist Health First in Central Arkansas to Utilize Next- Generation da Vinci 5 System Surgeons at Baptist Health recently became the first in central Arkansas to utilize the da Vinci 5 for robotic surgery, according to a Baptist Health spokesperson. The da Vinci 5 brings technology advances to help improve patient outcomes. It is designed to allow surgeons to feel more and see more. Among the new features are: • More ergonomic design for surgeon comfort. • A next-generation display with the highest resolution and most realistic 3D imaging. • 10,000 times the computing power of the previous model. • Connectivity with other technology in the operating room that may streamline proce- dures and save time for surgical teams. The da Vinci surgical systems are designed to help surgeons perform minimally invasive surgery and offer surgeons high-definition 3D vision, a magnified view, and robotic and com- puter assistance. They use specialized instrumen- tation, including a miniaturized surgical camera and wristed instruments (i.e., scissors, scalpels and forceps) that are designed to help with pre- cise dissection and reconstruction deep inside the body. n Angie Longing, MHSM, BSN, RN, NE-BC