For the last 35 years, Louise Hickman, RN, BSN, MA, CLNC, has been a fixture at Jefferson Regional. From her first position as a unit nurse to more than 18 years as Chief Nursing Officer, Hickman has seen Jefferson Regional transform from a community hospital to a technologically advanced, ever-expanding medical center. But now, Hickman […]
General Surgeon Michelle Eckert has been with Jefferson Regional for 22 years and has performed thousands of operations during that time. Now she has a new partner, of sorts: the daVinci Xi Robot Assisted Surgical System, which was designed to advance minimally-invasive technique across a wide spectrum of surgical procedures. Dr. Eckert was the first […]
With more than 41,000 patient visits in the last year, the emergency department (ED) at Jefferson Regional is in constant motion. As a Level 3 Trauma Center, many of those ED visits are traumatic injuries from all across South Arkansas, ranging from automobile accidents to gunshot wounds. Now that a third designated trauma surgeon has […]
While specialty physicians get a lot of attention these days, finding the right family doctor creates the foundation for a lifetime of good health. And for Todd Firmatura, M.D., Jefferson Regional’s newest family medicine physician, that foundation is the result of building strong relationships. “That’s one of the reasons I’m here,” Firmatura says of his […]
Since the 1950’s, pacemakers have been changing the lives of individuals with abnormal heart rhythms. Now, Jefferson Regional is offering the world’s smallest pacemaker – smaller than a vitamin, and with no metal leads – with fewer complications and increased quality of life for patients. Ayman Alshami, M.D. of Jefferson Regional Cardiology Associates is now […]
Two years ago, 70-year-old Alvin Larkin of Tillar, Arkansas, became concerned because he had no energy. That may not sound too unusual, especially when you consider that Mr. Larkin cares for his wife, who can no longer walk or talk. But even small activities left him out of breath, and he knew something was wrong. […]
75 year-old Isie Phene Madden of Dumas realized she was having GI problems on a Sunday. “I told my brother I wasn’t going to make it to church that morning,” she said, “and I went in to see my family doctor on Monday.” She had a colonoscopy, followed by surgery to remove some polyps. […]
Like many professional women, Erin Bolton, RN, is accustomed to a certain amount of chaos. As a wife, mother, church leader and Director of Quality Management at Jefferson Regional, Erin has always juggled numerous responsibilities, but when her hospital became the first in Arkansas to identify a COVID patient, all the balls came tumbling down […]
Jefferson Regional in Pine Bluff has recently treated trauma patients using whole blood, becoming the first hospital in the state to successfully use this method. Each patient had life-threatening bleeding. “This represents the first use of whole blood in the State of Arkansas,” said Michelle Eckert, M.D., a general surgeon and medical director of the […]
Approximately 700 babies are born each year at Jefferson Regional in Pine Bluff. Thanks to a relationship with the West Pine Bluff Rotary Club, those children now leave the hospital with an educational advantage – a free membership to the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. “About three years ago our club heard a presentation about the […]
