Baptist Health formally welcomed South Arkansas Regional Hospital in El Dorado into its system during a ribbon-cutting ceremony held June 15. The event was attended by hospital leaders and community dignitaries.
Baptist Health officially assumed hospital operations on June 14.
Venkat Kalapatapu, MD, has rejoined the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), this time as professor and chief of the Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery.
James C. Walker, MD, FACS, has joined Baptist Health Surgical and Specialty Clinic-Conway.
Walker is a board-certified general surgeon specializing in minimally invasive, robotic-assisted procedures and advanced endocrine surgery.
Beyond his surgical practice, Walker is recognized in trauma care. He served for seven years as the trauma medical director for CHI St. Vincent in Little Rock and has conducted numerous state surveys as an Arkansas State Trauma Site Physician Surveyor.
What began as separate campaigns by dozens of businesses and organizations combined to raise more than $5 million to support patients and families at Arkansas Children’s Hospital and Arkansas Children’s Northwest.
More than 30 Children’s Miracle Network partners across the region teamed up to donate $5,392,638.57 to Arkansas Children’s from their 2025 fundraising campaigns.
Using smart food locker technology is an innovative and promising approach to addressing food insecurity in Arkansas, according to researchers from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Institute for Community Health Innovation.
Food insecurity, defined as the limited or uncertain access to enough nutritious food, continues to affect communities across Arkansas at high rates. In 2023, nearly 19% of households experienced food insecurity, significantly exceeding the national average of 13.5%.
