HJAR Jul/Aug 2026

40 JUL / AUG 2026  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS   Healthcare Briefs But he is wrong when that argument becomes a shield against vaccine accountability, outbreak preparedness, or the basic responsibilities of the health department he leads. And he does not seem to have the power to stop what he knows will harm Americans: pesticides and war. It is not that Kennedy is always wrong or that his critics are always right. It is more uncomfort- able than that. America is sick. Kennedy knows it. America is overmedicalized. Kennedy knows it. America’s food system is dangerous. Kennedy knows it. America’s healthcare costs are unsustainable. Everyone in that room knows it. But knowing it is not enough. A nation does not become healthy by cutting health and funding war. — Dianne Marie Normand Hartley Sisira Yadala, MD, Honored with AMS Best Faculty Award The Arkansas Medical Society has recognized Sisira Yadala, MD, director of the Level 4 Compre- hensive Epilepsy Center at UAMS, with its 2026 Best Faculty Award (Mid-Career) for her advance- ment in epilepsy care across the state. Under her leadership, the Epilepsy Center has expanded advanced diagnostic and surgical options for complex cases and grown its clinical research, driving trials on innovative therapies for drug-resistant epilepsy. Beyond clinical leadership, Yadala serves as president of the Arkansas Neurological Soci- ety and is the founder of the Arkansas Synaptic Exchange, a multidisciplinary platform that brings together professionals to discuss advances in neurological science and clinical care. UAMS Receives $1M to Create Endowed Funds in Cancer Institute UAMS received $500,000 from Helen and Nick Lang, MD, and $500,000 from Kent C. Westbrook, MD, to the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, both in honor of Westbrook’s late wife, Jonnie Kay Westbrook. The Langs’ gift establishes the Jonnie West- brook Endowed Fund for Excellence in sup- port of the Cancer Institute Auxiliary, and West- brook’s gift establishes the Jonnie K. Westbrook Endowed Fund for Excellence in support of the highest priorities of the cancer institute, includ- ing the auxiliary. Jonnie Westbrook was married to Kent West- brook for 64 years. She was an active advocate and volunteer at UAMS and a founding member of the Cancer Institute Auxiliary. Kent Westbrook, who continues to serve as a distinguished profes- sor of surgery, cofounded the Arkansas Cancer Research Center, later renamed the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. A dedication ceremony of the Jonnie West- brook Conference Center on the 10th floor of the cancer institute was held on April 10. Michael Huber, MD, Joins Baptist Health Heart Institute/ Arkansas Cardiology Cardiologist Michael Huber, MD, FACC has joined the staff at Baptist Health Heart Institute/ Arkansas Cardiology. Huber served 17 years in the U.S. Army Medi- cal Corps, including a time at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, where he cared for sick and injured soldiers air evacuated from Iraq and Afghanistan. He earned a medical degree from the Uni- formed Services University of the Health Sci- ences in Bethesda and completed an internal medicine residency at Tripler Army Medical Cen- ter in Honolulu, followed by a fellowship in gen- eral cardiology at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. Huber is triple board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in cardiovascular dis- ease, nuclear cardiology, and internal medicine. Huber will see patients in North Little Rock, Crossett, and Hot Springs. StateMedical Society Elects Officers The Arkansas Medical Society recently elected new officers who will help lead the organization in 2026 and 2027. Naveen Patil, MD, MHSA, MA, FACP, FIDSA, of Little Rock, has been named the 2026–2027 AMS president. Patil is the dep- uty state health officer and the medical director for infectious diseases for the Arkansas Depart- ment of Health. Other newly elected executive leaders include AMS President-Elect Samuel Bledsoe, MD (Little Rock); Vice President Jerakaycia Smith, MD (Cam- den); Chairman Jacob Dickinson, MD (Mountain Home); Secretary James Hunt Jr., MD; Treasurer Jennifer Doyle, MD (Little Rock); Vice President Prasad Padala, MD; and Vice President Kathryn Stambough, MD. UAMS, University of Arkansas–Fort Smith Forge Agreement to Expand Healthcare Education Pathways UAMS and the University of Arkansas–Fort Smith (UAFS) have entered into a formal memo- randum of agreement designed to create accel- erated pathways for UAFS graduates pursuing careers in healthcare. The agreement spans UAMS programs in the College of Health Professions, College of Phar- macy, College of Nursing, and Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health. Participating programs include degrees in cytology, medical labora- tory sciences, respiratory care, speech language pathology, audiology, physical therapy, phar- macy, nursing, public health, health adminis- tration, healthcare data analytics, and doctoral research programs. Depending on the program, eligible UAFS students who meet specified GPA and prereq- uisite criteria will receive one of three levels of enhanced admissions consideration: a guaran- teed interview, priority application review that bypasses standard prescreening, or automatic admission. UAFS students wishing to benefit from the agreement must declare their intent to apply to a participating UAMS program by the relevant Michael Huber, MD, FACC