Washington Regional Press Releases

Posted: 12/19/2023

Drs. Ryan D. Gholson and Charla R. Morgan recently joined Washington Regional's OB hospitalist group. OB hospitalists provide care for laboring patients at Washington Regional's Women and Infants Center until their regular OB/GYN can arrive. They also deliver babies of patients who do not have a regular OB/GYN or if the patient's regular OB/GYN cannot be present. Ryan D. Gholson, MD , earned his medical degree from the University of Louisville School of Medicine in Kentucky and completed his obstetrics ...

Posted: 12/13/2023

The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) recently recognized Washington Regional Medical Center for adherence to defect-free stroke care measures with the highest achievement possible, a Diamond award. Washington Regional is the only hospital in Northwest Arkansas and one of only two Joint Commission certified Comprehensive Stroke Centers in the state to be recognized in the Diamond category. The awards recognized 39 hospitals throughout the state and are based on stroke care performance as documented in...

Posted: 12/13/2023

Wade Ceola, MD, FACS, FAANS, recently joined Washington Regional Brain and Spine Surgery Clinic , part of the J.B. Hunt Transport Services Neuroscience Institute. He provides surgical and therapeutic treatment for patients with diseases and disorders of the brain, nervous system and spine and specializes in complex spine cases. Dr. Ceola, originally from Springdale, earned his medical degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and completed a residency in neurosurgery at University of A...

Posted: 12/5/2023

U.S. News & World Report, the global authority in hospital rankings and consumer advice, has named Washington Regional Medical Center as a 2024 High Performing hospital for Maternity Care (Uncomplicated Pregnancy). Washington Regional is the only hospital in Arkansas to achieve the designation, which is the highest award a hospital can earn for U.S. News’ Best Hospitals for Maternity Care. Best Hospitals for Maternity Care is an annual evaluation designed to assist expectant parents, in consultation...

Posted: 11/7/2023

Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield has selected Washington Regional Medical Center as a Blue Distinction Center+ for quality and cost efficiency in spine surgery as part of the Blue Distinction Centers for Spine Surgery program. Blue Distinction Centers are nationally designated health care facilities that show a commitment to delivering higher quality patient safety and better health outcomes, based on objective measures that were developed with input from the medical community and leading accreditati...

Posted: 11/6/2023

Washington Regional Medical Center earned an ‘A’ Hospital Safety Grade, the highest grade possible, in the Fall 2023 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades. The Leapfrog Group sets standards for excellence in patient safety in hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. This national distinction recognizes Washington Regional’s achievements in protecting patients from preventable harm and error while in the hospital. “We are proud to once again achieve Leapfrog’s highest grade, which recognizes our commitment to...

Posted: 10/31/2023

Ashleigh Kathiresan recently joined Washington Regional Medical System as executive director of applications and IT portfolio management. In her role, Kathiresan is responsible for maximizing the capabilities of Washington Regional’s applications and leading strategic programs and tactical projects implemented by the information technology department.   Before joining Washington Regional, Kathiresan spent 10 years at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, most recently as d...

Posted: 10/5/2023

The Washington Regional J.B. Hunt Transport Services Cancer Support Home will offer free clinical breast exams during a breast health clinic on Saturday, October 14 from 9 a.m. – noon. The clinic will be held at: The Breast Center, a MANA Clinic 55 W. Sunbridge Drive Fayetteville, AR 72703 Space is limited and appointments are required. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call 479.404.2162 . Referral and financial assistance will be available for those who qualify based on physici...

Posted: 10/2/2023

Vivek Malhotra, MD, recently joined Washington Regional’s hospital medicine group, where he provides evaluation and treatment of hospitalized patients in the medical center. Malhotra earned his medical degree from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine and completed a residency in internal medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest Campus.

Posted: 9/25/2023

Robert Stauffer, MD, FACC, recently joined Washington Regional Cardiovascular Clinic , part of the Washington Regional Walker Heart Institute, where he provides comprehensive cardiology care for adults, including preventive care and care for acute and chronic conditions of the cardiac and vascular systems with a focus on interventional cardiology. Stauffer earned his medical degree from the Indiana University School of Medicine and completed a fellowship in cardiology at Kaiser Foundation Medical Center...

Posted: 9/8/2023

Washington Regional Hospice has been named a 2023 Hospice CAHPS Honors Award recipient by HEALTHCAREfirst, a leading provider of CAHPS and bereavement surveys for home health and hospice organizations. Washington Regional Hospice was the only hospice agency in Northwest Arkansas to achieve the honor. This prestigious annual review recognizes agencies that continuously provide positive patient and caregiver experiences and high-quality care. It acknowledges the highest performing agencies by analyzing th...

Posted: 9/5/2023

Faith in Action, an outreach program of the Washington Regional Medical Foundation , has changed its name to Senior Support in Action . The name change comes after much consideration to more accurately reflect the program’s mission of connecting socially isolated seniors in Benton and Washington counties to their community through volunteer support. “We believe the new, more descriptive name will help more people learn about the services the program offers and open doors to more volunteers, which in tur...

Posted: 9/1/2023

Aleksandar Blubaum, MD, recently joined Washington Regional Ozark Urology Clinic , where he provides diagnosis and treatment of urological conditions. Blubaum earned his medical degree from the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He completed both an internship in general surgery and a residency in urology at the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center in Oklahoma City.

Posted: 9/1/2023

Eddie Yang, MD, recently joined Washington Regional’s Palliative Care Team, where he provides evaluation and care for hospitalized patients with chronic, progressive or complex medical conditions with a focus on improving quality of life. Yang earned his medical degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and completed both a residency in family medicine and fellowship in hospice and palliative care medicine at UAMS.

Posted: 8/31/2023

Washington Regional Medical Center has earned the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® Regional STEMI Achievement Award for its commitment to offering rapid and research-based care to people across the region experiencing the most severe form of heart attacks. Each year, more than 250,000 people experience a severe and time-sensitive type of heart attack known as an ST elevation myocardial infarction, or STEMI. STEMI heart attacks are caused by a blockage of blood flow to the heart and requir...

Posted: 8/29/2023

Christopher Sonntag, MD, recently joined Washington Regional Rheumatology Clinic , where he provides diagnosis and treatment of conditions and diseases affecting the joints, muscles and bones. Sonntag grew up in Rogers and earned his medical degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. He completed an internal medicine residency at UAMS and a fellowship in rheumatology at Roger Williams Medical Center/Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.

Posted: 8/16/2023

Myrrh Hector, APRN, recently joined Washington Regional Fayetteville Family Clinic where she provides comprehensive primary care for adults and children of all ages. Hector holds a Bachelor of Science in nursing from Northeastern State University and a Master of Science in nursing from Maryville University. She has 11 years of nursing experience and most recently provided care to patients at the Washington Regional Endocrinology Clinic.

Posted: 8/15/2023

Washington Regional Medical Center recently joined the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement’s (ACHI) NaloxHome program in an effort to fight opioid overdoses and save lives. The program provides naloxone at no charge for hospital emergency rooms to dispense to patients or caregivers of patients who have experienced or are at risk of an overdose. Naloxone is a medication that can reverse the effects of opiate medications typically used for pain control and synthetic opioids like fentanyl. ACHI reports ...

Posted: 8/14/2023

Trent Bickel, MD, recently joined Washington Regional Cardiovascular Clinic , part of the Washington Regional Walker Heart Institute, where he provides comprehensive cardiology care for adults, including preventive care and care for acute and chronic conditions of the cardiac and vascular systems. Bickel earned his medical degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine and completed a fellowship in cardiovascular disease at University of Missouri Health Care. He previously served as an emergenc...

Posted: 8/14/2023

Yang Yang, MD, recently joined Washington Regional Electrophysiology Clinic , part of the Washington Regional Walker Heart Institute, where he provides diagnosis and treatment of heart rhythm abnormalities. Yang earned his medical degree from the University of California San Diego School of Medicine and completed a residency in internal medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Yang also completed a fellowship in cardiovascular diseases at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and a fellow...