Personnel advancement and equipment enhancements make not-for-profit SARH a true leader in community health and wellness
EL DORADO, Ark. – Dec. 4, 2024 – South Arkansas Regional Hospital (SARH)caps off a year of improving processes, facilities, and services to ensure everyone in the region has equitable access to high-quality health care close to home. The hospital has new leadership, a recently established Regional Advisory Board made up of patients and staff, and more than half a million dollars in new equipment to expand services offered.
Making a Difference in South Arkansas’s Health Through Leadership
SARH launched a Regional Advisory Board to assure delivery of the highest standards of comprehensive and compassionate health care by fostering partnerships among patients, their families, and their health care providers. The Advisory Board will act as a resource to the leadership and staff of SARH. Community members interested in serving on the Advisory Board can submit their application online.
Director of Human ResourcesAlphe Wells has been promoted to chief engagement officer. In this role, Wells will serve as the liaison between staff, leadership, and the community.
“It takes committed employees who feel supported by their leadership to help us become the region’s healthcare destination,” Wells said. “This role is one more way our leadership team is showing how committed the hospital is to our staff and the community we serve, and I am looking forward to the positive changes we will make together.”
Wells joined SARH in June of this year as Director of HR and has played a key role in recruitment, retention and employee recognition. Wells came to SARH from Mississippi with more than 20 years of HR experience.
Earlier in the year, Becky Parnell, PhD, APRN, ACNS-BC joined the team as chief nursing officer. Parnell has been a key figure in shaping the next generation of nursing professionals. She actively participates in state leadership roles in the Arkansas Nurses Association, Arkansas Center for Nursing, and Arkansas Nurses Foundation, to ensure representation of the nurses in South Arkansas.
Danna Taylor, MHA, FACHE kicked off the year by being permanently named president after serving as the interim during the transition from the Medical Center of South Arkansas to SARH. The El Dorado native previously served as the former medical center’s chief operating officer.
The hospital also added multiple positions through AmeriCorps and UAMS to provide community educators, community health workers, and review of reasons patients might face challenges accessing healthcare.
Laying the Foundation for Growth Through Community Support
As a newly formed not-for-profit hospital, the South Arkansas Regional Hospital Foundation was established with the mission to raise funds to support South Arkansas Regional Hospital initiatives and purchase priority medical equipment to improve patient outcomes. The first order of business was to launch a campaign to bring a much-needed 3D Mammography machine to SARH. This summer, the SARH Foundation launched a capital campaign, Hearts Close to Home, with the goal of raising $5 million dollars to purchase equipment and make improvements that will allow SARH to expand its cardiovascular and surgical departments. To date, the campaign has raised over $1 million.
Updating Equipment and Expanding Treatment Options
Money raised by the Foundation’s first fundraiser, which included a $5,000 donation from the SARH Auxiliary and proceeds from the 31st Annual First Financial Bank/SHARE Benefit Golf Tournament, afforded the hospital a 3D Mammography machine that will allow approximately 100 women per month to take proactive steps toward their health and potentially catch breast cancer early.
To expand surgical offerings, SARH purchased two Da Vinci 5 Surgical Robots, which South Arkansas didn’t have previously, as well as new hospital beds, chilling systems for equipment, general ultrasound machines, infant monitoring systems (HUGS), and more. In the first two months of having the Da Vinci systems, SARH surgeons completed 30 minimally invasive procedures.
In addition to new equipment, SARH launched in-patient hospice care through a partnership with Arkansas Hospice, the state’s largest nonprofit hospice provider. The new service offering will allow SARH to provide a more comprehensive level of care than previously available.
Through key staffing changes, community support, service expansion, and equipment purchases, SARH has enhanced health care in the region since its new ownership.
“The people and businesses of South Arkansas have access to a robust, comprehensive health care facility staffed by professionals who truly care about the care and well-being of those we serve,” Dr. Brian Jones, SHARE Foundation president and CEO said. “It’s why hospital leadership, staff, physicians, and valuable resource partners are here 24/7 to ensure the landscape of health care is forever changed for the positive in our region.”
Still to Come
SARH anticipates a UAMS family medicine residency program for South Arkansas will be active by 2027, and will improve access to rural healthcare while supporting physician development and retention in underserved areas.
“The next three to five years will continue to see improvement of facilities, equipment updates, personnel changes, and service-line expansions to ensure the health needs of South Arkansans are being met close to home,” Taylor says.
To learn more about the services South Arkansas Regional Hospital provides South Arkansas and neighboring communities, visit SARHCare.org. To learn how you can support the Hearts Close to Home capital campaign, visit SHAREFoundation.com/sarh-foundation/donate/.
About Southern Arkansas Regional Hospital
South Arkansas Regional Hospital (SARH), in collaboration with UAMS, is a new and local nonprofit, community-based healthcare provider. Formed through the partnership of three area foundations and one academic medical center, SARH is committed to providing comprehensive, compassionate, and personalized care close to home. With a focus on innovation and excellence, SARH continues to expand its capabilities and services to meet the evolving healthcare needs of Southern Arkansas.
For more information about SARH and the SARH Foundation, visit www.sarhcare.org.
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