Cole Wood, MD, Named Medical Director of Infection Prevention & Control at Washington Regional

• Published: 11/4/2025

Cole Wood, MD, was recently named medical director of Washington Regional’s Infection Prevention & Control department and director of the hospital’s antimicrobial stewardship program. Antimicrobial stewardship refers to a hospital’s processes to ensure the safe and appropriate use of antibiotics to improve patient outcomes while reducing antibiotic resistance. Washington Regional was the first hospital in Arkansas to achieve designation as an Antimicrobial Stewardship Center of Excellence (CoE) and remains the only hospital in the state that has received four consecutive CoE designations. Wood will also provide infectious disease consultation services at Washington Regional Medical Center.

A native of Jonesboro, Arkansas, Wood earned his medical degree at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences where he also completed his residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in infectious diseases. Wood most recently served as an infectious disease physician and director of antimicrobial stewardship at St. Bernards Medical Center in Jonesboro. Wood succeeds James “Buddy” Newton, MD, who is retiring at the end of the year.