By Jennifer Shutt-July 29, 2026 Louisiana Illuminator
WASHINGTON — Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the nation’s most visible public health officials during the coronavirus pandemic, declined to answer questions from a U.S. Senate committee in a tense and confrontational hearing, citing his Fifth Amendment rights.
Twenty-one nurses from Baptist Health facilities across the state have been named to Arkansas' Great 100 list. They are:
Baptist Health
Serena Burningham, RN, MSN
Rhonda Finnie, DNP
Kara Fraser, RN, BSN
Tyler Harra, RN
Zena Hill, RN
Jeff Jeffries, RN
Marcus Kolozian, RN
Lea Meserole, RN, MSN
Melissa Smith, RN
Baptist Health College
Cristena Cook, DNP
Steven Ragsdale, RN
Baptist Health Cardiothoracic Surgery Clinic
Kelli Fritcher, RN, MSN
CARTI recently marked the first commercial clinical use of RenovoCath®, a patented, FDA-cleared device that enables local chemotherapy delivery near a tumor site rather than traditional systemic intravenous administration. The not-for-profit provider began leveraging RenovoCath® to treat a patient with sarcoma—a cancer that starts in the soft tissues or bones—in late June 2026 at CARTI Cancer Center Little Rock.
The University of Arkansas System, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), and Jefferson Hospital Association (Jefferson Regional) in Pine Bluff announced they have successfully finalized a membership substitution agreement. Under this new affiliation, the University of Arkansas’ Board of Trustees officially becomes the corporate member of Jefferson Regional’s parent corporation, Jefferson Hospital Association, Inc.
Endocrinologist Freddy Toloza Bonilla, MD, MHSc, has joined the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) as an assistant professor for the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism within the College of Medicine Department of Internal Medicine.
Toloza Bonilla is an endocrinologist specializing in thyroid and parathyroid disorders, with expertise in thyroid cancer. He provides care for patients with thyroid nodules, thyroid cancer, and parathyroid disease.
