HJAR Nov/Dec 2025

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  NOV / DEC 2025 49 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalAR.com to 2015, she served as an attending physician at Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans and as a clinical professor and instructor at Louisiana State and Tulane Universities. Bazzett-Matabele has served as a medical vol- unteer in more than a half-dozen countries and serves on the World Health Organization’s expert group for cervical cancer prevention. She has been an invited speaker at numerous international conferences and has contributed to peer-reviewed research focused on cancer treatment in under- resourced areas, HIV-associated cervical cancer, and improving surgical outcomes. Bazzett-Matabele earned a medical degree from Wayne State University in Detroit, where she also completed a residency in obstetrics and gynecol- ogy. She completed a fellowship in gynecologic oncology at the University of Louisville in Louis- ville, Kentucky. Bazzett-Matabele sees patients in the Women’s Cancer Clinic at the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. CHI St. Vincent North Receives ANCC Designation CHI St. Vincent North has received the Pathway to Excellence designation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). The des- ignation recognizes the hospital’s commitment to safeguarding the well-being of its nurses and caregivers. A subsidiary of the American Nurses Associa- tion, the American Nurses Credentialing Cen- ter offers internationally renowned credentialing programs that certify and recognize individual nurses in specialty practice areas. ANCC recog- nizes healthcare organizations that promote nurs- ing excellence and quality patient outcomes while providing safe and positive work environments. Arkansas Surgical Hospital Welcomes Saman Farr, MD Neurosurgeon Saman Farr, MD, has joined the medical staff at Arkansas Surgical Hospital. Farr is a fellowship-trained neurosurgeon with expertise in both minimally invasive and complex spine surgery. He regularly performs anterior and posterior cervical fusions, artificial disc replace- ments of the neck and low back, cervical and lum- bar decompressions, lumbar fusions, sacroiliac joint fusions, kyphoplasty, and minimally invasive surgical procedures. Farr earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in biochemistry and molecular biology at UCLA and a medical degree at Western University of Health Sciences. He completed a neurosurgery residency at Riverside University Health Systems and went on to complete a subspecialty spine fellowship at UC-Davis. Arkansas Children’s Receives $1.5MToward Expansion Project Arkansas Children’s has received a $1.5 million gift from Hank’s Fine Furniture. The gift was made as part of Arkansas Children’s ongoing expansion project. The gift was made in memory of Hank Browne, founder of Hank’s Fine Furniture, who passed away in 2022 of glioblastoma, a type of cancer that originates in the brain. In recognition of his longtime support of Arkansas Children’s, the new bone marrow transplant suite at Arkansas Chil- dren’s Hospital (ACH) will be named in his honor. The Hank Browne Bone Marrow Transplant Suite will include specialized rooms specifically designed to meet the needs of immunocompro- mised bone marrow transplant patients. Located adjacent to the ACH hematology/oncology unit, the redesigned space will be able to accommo- date dedicated equipment and intensive patient monitoring. CHI St. Vincent Announces $5MGift CHI St. Vincent has received a $5 million gift from Isabel and John Ed Anthony for the creation of the Anthony Center for Advanced Cardiac Care at CHI St. Vincent Infirmary in Little Rock. This is the largest single gift that CHI St. Vincent has ever received. The Anthony Center for Advanced Cardiac Care will allow CHI St. Vincent to continue to expand its heart program for the most complex cases, combining inpatient and outpatient heart care services, including cardiac electrophysiology and cardiothoracic surgery programs in one location. “This gift signals a bright future for cardiac healthcare in the state of Arkansas,” said Chad Aduddell, market president of CHI St. Vincent. “We are honored by Isabel and John Ed Anthony’s generosity and for their long-time support of our ministry. Their support over the years has allowed St. Vincent to enhance its healthcare services to the community and create a positive impact across the state.” UAMS Kidney, Liver Transplant Programs Honored The kidney and liver transplant programs at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) were honored with the John M. Eisenberg Award for Local Achievement in Patient Safety and Quality from The Joint Commission and National Quality Forum. Katelyn Faust, MSN, RN, the transplant pro- gram’s quality and process improvement man- ager, attended the inaugural UNIFY conference in Washington, D.C., and accepted the award on behalf of UAMS Health on September 16. The UAMS Health program was recognized for improving access to organ transplantation for underserved rural communities in Arkansas. The UAMS Health Solid Organ Transplant Pro- gram established satellite transplant clinics in El Dorado, Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Helena-West Helena, Jonesboro, Pine Bluff, and Texarkana to improve access to care for patients around the state and reduce the need for costly travel to UAMS clinics in central Arkansas. “These satellite clinics are strategically located in regions with the highest concentrations of trans- plant patients,” said Lyle Burdine, MD, PhD, direc- tor of solid organ transplants at UAMS. “By going out into the state to meet our patients, rather than asking them to come to Little Rock, we are not only improving our patients’ quality of life, but we are also adding years to their life as well.” n Saman Farr, MD