HJAR Mar/Apr 2026

48 MAR / APR 2026  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS Hospital Rounds UAMS Receives $3.5M from CDC to Improve Colorectal Cancer Screening The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently awarded more than $3.5 million to UAMS to lead a five-year statewide effort to improve the rate of colorectal cancer screening in the state. Arkansas ranks fifth nationally for overall cancer mortality and sixth nationally for colorectal can- cer mortality, making colorectal cancer screening a major public health concern statewide. The grant will enable physicians and researchers at UAMS who focus on primary care health out- comes to establish and enhance partnerships with other entities in Arkansas who also have an inter- est in improving the screening rate, for the pur- pose of adopting integrated practices based on the best available science. Called Promoting Resource and Outreach to Enhance Colorectal Testing for Arkansas (PRO- TECT-AR), the UAMS-led effort will include data monitoring and continuous quality improve- ments. Its goal is to enhance completion rates of all colorectal cancer screening regardless of which approved screening method is used. Arkansas Children’s Receives $50MGift Arkansas Children's received a $50 million gift from philanthropist, entrepreneur, and child health advocate B. Thomas Golisano. This investment is the largest philanthropic gift in Arkansas Chil- dren's history and supports key strategic priori- ties for the health system, including its $371 mil- lion expansion. The 10-year systemwide growth plan includes program development, workforce recruitment, and facility upgrades designed to meet escalating child health needs. Golisano is the founder of Paychex, Inc., a human resource company for small to medium- sized businesses. The Golisano Foundation is one of the largest private foundations in the United States devoted to supporting programs for peo- ple with intellectual and developmental disabil- ities, animal welfare, and child health. He has contributed more than $1 billion to advance edu- cation and healthcare across the country and is considered one of the country’s biggest donors. With this investment, Arkansas Children’s joins the Golisano Children’s Alliance — a growing collaborative of 12 children’s hospitals. In honor of his investment, the Arkansas Children’s Little Rock campus will be named the Arkansas Chil- dren’s Golisano Campus. UAMS Hires Gina Seabaugh, RN, as Executive Director of Physician Relations Gina Seabaugh, RN, is the new executive direc- tor of physician relations at UAMS. She and her team are responsible for serving as liaisons between UAMS physicians and community pro- viders. They assist with referrals and ensure that community providers know the services that UAMS offers. Seabaugh previously held the role of executive director of physician relations for CHI St. Vincent. Arkansas Children’s, Arkansas AG’s Office Hosts Topping Out Ceremony In January, Arkansas Children’s and the Arkan- sas Attorney General’s Office hosted a topping out ceremony to mark progress and the place- ment of the final beam for the National Center for Opioid Research & Clinical Effectiveness (NCOR). NCOR will be a first-of-its-kind center dedicated to understanding the effects of the opioid crisis and other substance misuse on the fetus, new- borns, developing children and adolescents, and pregnant and parenting individuals. The $75 million, 65,000-square-foot facility, part of Arkansas Children’s Research Institute (ACRI), will offer research and community outreach, aim- ing to empower affected families and improve health outcomes. Part of the funding for the center — $55 mil- lion — comes from opioid and vaping settlement funds. Arkansas Children’s is investing the remain- ing $20 million to make the center possible. Baptist HealthMedical Center- North Little Rock Appoints KimYoung as AVP of Hospital & Pharmacy Operations Kimberly Young, PharmD, MHA, BCSCP, has been appointed assistant vice president of hos- pital and pharmacy operations at Baptist Health Medical Center-North Little Rock. The appoint- ment follows an interim period in the role. Young recently completed a master’s degree in healthcare administration from Louisiana State University in Shreveport and has a doctoral degree in pharmacy from UAMS’ College of Pharmacy. Young's tenure at Baptist Health spans more than 18 years, beginning as a pharmacy intern. Most recently, she served as the director of the pharmacy and wound center at BHMC-North Lit- tle Rock. She helped develop a limb preservation center, a new PET/CT center, and managed over- all pharmacy operations. Katie andMiles Stephens Donate $1.5 Million Supporting Arkansas Children’s Hospital Historic Expansion Arkansas Children’s is continuing the momen- tum behind its $371 million expansion project with a $1.5 million gift from Katie and Miles Ste- phens, an investment to help transform pediat- ric care for children and families across Arkansas and the region. Kimberly Young, PharmD, MHA, BCSCP Gina Seabaugh, RN