HJAR Mar/Apr 2026

HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  MAR / APR 2026 49 For weekly eNews updates and to read the journal online, visit HealthcareJournalAR.com The Stephens family has been a long-time sup- porter of Arkansas Children’s. Katie Stephens is a lifetime member of the Arkansas Children’s Hospi- tal Auxiliary and has been a member of the Arkan- sas Children’s Foundation board since 2024. The Stephens family is passionate about supporting the expansion project after learning more about its scope and the long-term, positive impact it will have on pediatric healthcare. Arkansas Children's expansion project, the largest in the organization’s history, is designed to improve access to healthcare, elevate patient experience, and strengthen the state’s nation- ally ranked pediatric health system. Support from community leaders such as the Stephens family serves to highlight the importance of the project and its impact on children in the region. Interventional Cardiologist Joins Saline Health System Ayman Alshami, MD, an interventional cardiolo- gist, joins Jeffrey Stewart, MD, and Katelyn War- ren, nurse practitioner, at Saline Cardiology, a department of Saline Health System. Alshami has more than 27 years of experience in general and interventional cardiology, most recently serving at Jefferson Regional Medical Center in Pine Bluff. During his tenure, he also served as medical director of the cardiac cathe- terization lab. He earned his medical degree from Damascus University School of Medicine and completed an internal medicine residency at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Atlantic City. He went on to complete a cardiology fellow- ship at East Carolina University School of Medi- cine and an interventional cardiology fellowship at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N. C. With Alshami joining the team, Saline Cardi- ology is expanding its services to include pace- maker and implantable cardioverter defibrillator implants. Baptist Health Names Charmaine Estell Chief Nursing Officer Charmaine Estell has been appointed as chief nursing officer at Baptist Health Medical Center- North Little Rock. Estell first joined Baptist Health in September 2003 as a nursing assistant while attending the Baptist School of Nursing, from which she graduated in December 2003. Her career began as a charge nurse and an Admin- istrative RN III. After eight years in these roles, Estell was pro- moted to unit supervisor and went on to serve as an associate director of nursing at Baptist Health Medical Center-Heber Springs and later at Baptist Health Medical Center-Hot Spring County. While serving in leadership roles, she earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing. Prior to this latest promotion, she served as the system associate chief nursing officer, a role she was pro- moted to in 2024. Baptist Health to Offer Abbott TriClip for Heart Valve Condition Baptist Health's cardiology team in Little Rock now provides Abbott's FDA-approved TriClip transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) system, a minimally invasive treatment option for tricuspid regurgitation (TR), a condition where the tricuspid valve leaks. This therapy eliminates the necessity for open-heart surgery. Tricuspid valve regurgitation is a condition in which the valve between the two right heart cham- bers (right ventricle and right atrium) don’t close properly, allowing blood to flow backward into the right atrium of the heart. Traditionally, the only treatment options for TR have been surgery, which is rarely performed due to the complexity of the procedure and high risks involved, and medical therapy, which is usually not successful in reducing TR. TriClip is delivered to the heart via a catheter inserted through the femoral vein in the leg and works by clipping together a portion of the leaf- lets of the tricuspid valve to reduce the backflow of blood. Designed specifically for the right side of the heart and the tricuspid valve’s complex anatomy, the TriClip and steerable guiding catheter sys- tems allow physicians to independently grasp and effectively clip leaflets of the tricuspid valve to reduce the regurgitation. This minimally inva- sive approach allows the heart to pump blood more efficiently and relieve symptoms of TR, which improves the quality of life for patients. Baxter HealthWelcomes Darby McCann as Coordinator of the Schliemann Center for Women’s Health Darby McCann is Baxter Health's new coordina- tor for the Schliemann Center for Women’s Health. McCann steps into this role after serving as program coordinator for the Baxter Health Foundation, where she developed a deep understanding of the Schliemann Center’s mission and its impact on women throughout the region. Her experience with the Foundation has uniquely prepared her to continue advancing the Schliemann Center’s commitment to compassionate, comprehensive care. Originally from Malvern, Arkansas, McCann is a 2020 graduate of Henderson State University. She has built her career around serving others, including her impactful work at the Percy and Donna Malone Child Safety Center in Arkadelphia. Her background reflects a strong dedication to advocacy, education, and hands-on community support. n Charmaine Estell Darby McCann