HJAR May/Jun 2025

28 MAY / JUN 2025  I  HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS   Healthcare Briefs Walker Foundation Donates $1.5 Million to EndowUA Little Rock School of Nursing Center for Simulation Innovation Director Position Amid a growing national shortage of nurses, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock has received a $1.5 million donation from the Willard & Pat Walker Charitable Foundation to create an endowed directorship for the School of Nurs- ing’s Center for Simulation Innovation (CSI). This generous gift will provide additional resources to support nursing education and help strengthen the pipeline of skilled healthcare professionals in Arkansas. The Center for Simulation Innovation deliv- ers immersive healthcare simulation training to approximately 500 undergraduate nursing stu- dents each year and was recognized with the 2023 Frontline Simulation Champion Excellence Award by the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning, making it the only lab in Arkansas to have this recognition. Col- lectively, UA Little Rock nursing students spend about 30,000 hours in the lab each year. Learn more about the nursing program at ualr. edu/nursing. ADHRecognizes Healthcare Providers for Stroke Care Performance The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) rec- ognized 40 hospitals, 45 ambulance services, one regional team, and four individuals for excellence in stroke patient care. The hospital awards are based on stroke care performance as documented in the Arkansas Stroke Registry for July 2023 and June 2024 patient discharges. They are given to hospitals based on the following measures: defect-free stroke care, documentation of stroke bands, and door-to-CT times. Defect-free care is an aggre- gated metric based on the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ ASA) Coverdell metrics to ensure stroke patients receive appropriate care. Stroke bands allow for improved data collection for quality improve- ment, and faster door-to-CT times improve the likelihood of better patient outcomes. To qual- ify for this award, a hospital must be designated through ADH or a national accreditation body. The EMS awards are based on documentation of stroke bands as well as pre-notification. When hospital teams are alerted that a suspected stroke patient is en route by EMS, this helps expedite the patient’s care upon arrival. Regional recognition is awarded to those geo- graphical areas in Arkansas in which healthcare teams demonstrate the highest level of perfor- mance for pre-notification, stroke band documen- tation, and door-to-CT times. The transition of care award honors organiza- tions or individuals for the exceptional work they did with stroke patients and/or their families as part of the transition of care for the patient. “We commend our Arkansas healthcare pro- viders for their dedication to excellence to stroke patient care and patient outcomes,” said Bala Simon, MD, DrPH, deputy chief medical officer and tate chronic disease director at Arkansas Department of Health. Visit https://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/ programs-services/topics/arkansas-stroke-registry for a complete listing of all award winners. Radiation Oncologist J. Scott Cordova, MD, PhD, Joins UAMSWinthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute J. Scott Cordova, MD, PhD, has joined the Uni- versity of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute as an assistant professor in the Department of Radia- tion Oncology in the UAMS College of Medicine. A board-certified radiation oncologist and Arkansas native, Cordova specializes in the treat- ment of gynecologic, genitourinary, and gastro- intestinal cancers, as well as soft tissue sarcomas. Cordova brings expertise in proton beam ther- apy, brachytherapy, and adaptive radiotherapy to UAMS, further strengthening the institution’s commitment to cutting-edge cancer treatment. UAMS offers the state’s only proton and adap- tive radiotherapy, providing Arkansans with the most advanced cancer care currently available. “Our department’s brachytherapy program is among the most advanced in the nation, allow- ing for innovative, minimally invasive treatment of gynecologic and sarcomatous tumors,” said Cordova. The UAMS Health Radiation Oncology Center houses the Proton Center of Arkansas, a collabo- ration between UAMS, Arkansas Children’s, Bap- tist Health, and Proton International. Cordova completed a residency in radiation oncology at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, part of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He earned a medical degree from Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Geor- gia, and a doctoral degree in molecular and sys- tems pharmacology from Emory’s Laney Gradu- ate School. He attended the University of Central Arkansas, where he graduated cum laude from Schedler Honors College and studied chemistry and mathematics. Cordova has earned numerous prestigious honors, including the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Fellow Award and the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award. He is an active member of the American Brachyther- apy Society, the American College of Radiation Oncology, and the American Society for Radia- tion Oncology. In addition, he has contributed extensively to the field through multiple publi- cations in peer-reviewed radiology and radiation oncology journals. Cordova sees patients at the UAMS Radiation Oncology Center. NYITCOMat A-State’s Grubb Receives Inaugural Ritter Family Foundation Scholarship Kirsten Grubb, a third-year medical student at New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State Univer- sity (NYITCOM at A-State), has been awarded J. Scott Cordova, MD, PhD