Chad S. Aduddell
CHI St. Vincent Infirmary
Little Rock
Chad S. Aduddell has been CEO of CHI St. Vincent, with its flagship CHI St. Vincent Infirmary in Little Rock, since 2015. He previously served as executive vice president and chief operations officer at CHI St. Vincent and president of CHI St. Vincent Infirmary. Aduddell came to CHI St. Vincent from St. Anthony Hospital in Oklahoma City.
Chris Barber
St. Bernards Healthcare
Jonesboro
Chris Barber is president and CEO of St. Bernards Healthcare, which serves 23 counties in northeast Arkansas and southeast Missouri. In his three decades with St. Bernards, Barber worked his way up from intern to administrator before assuming his current role. He has now overseen the corporate operations of the nonprofit health care system for 13 years.
Brad Bloemer
Arkansas Methodist Medical Center
Paragould
Brad Bloemer served as chief financial officer at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center in Paragould prior to being promoted to interim CEO and CEO. He previously served as CFO at hospitals in Tennessee, Kentucky and Missouri. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting and finance and a Master of Health Care Administration from Southeast Missouri State University.
Char Boulch
Saline Memorial Hospital
Benton
Char Boulch is CEO of Saline Memorial Hospital in Benton. She most recently served as chief nursing officer for the system and in the same role at Willamette Valley Medical Center in Oregon. She holds a Bachelor of Nursing from South University in Georgia and is currently working on earning her doctorate degree in nursing practice.
Jeff Carrier
Baptist Health
Fort Smith
Jeff Carrier became president of the Baptist Health Western Region in 2022, assuming responsibility for Baptist Health’s hospitals in Fort Smith and Van Buren. A registered nurse, Carrier previously served as president and CEO of Centura Health in Kansas, as well as holding multiple leadership positions over a span of 12 years at Freeman Health System in Joplin, Missouri.
Sammie Cribbs
North Arkansas Regional Medical Center
Harrison
Sammie Cribbs was appointed president and CEO of North Arkansas Regional Medical Center in 2022. Cribbs was previously named chief nursing officer in 2014, as well as vice president of clinical services and chief nursing officer in 2016. She joined the hospital in 2007 and has served in leadership roles since 2011.
Marcy Doderer
Arkansas Children’s
Little Rock and Springdale
Marcy Doderer was named president and CEO of Arkansas Children’s, the state’s only pediatric health system, in 2013. Prior to joining Arkansas Children’s, Doderer held various leadership positions at hospitals in Texas, including at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health System in San Antonio, CHRISTUS St. Joseph’s Health System and McCuistion Regional Medical Center in Paris and Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas.
Ryan Gehrig
Mercy Arkansas Communities
Fort Smith and Rogers
Ryan Gehrig is the president of Mercy Arkansas Communities, where he leads all of the Mercy hospitals across the state. Gehrig joined Mercy in 2012 as the president of Mercy Hospital Fort Smith. He previously served as vice president of enterprise systems and chief administrative officer and chief operating officer at hospitals in Oklahoma and Mississippi.
LaDonna Johnston
Unity Health-White County Medical Center
Searcy
LaDonna Johnston serves as president and CEO of Unity Health. Johnston was appointed to her role in 2024 and previously served as vice president of patient services for the system and administrator of Unity Health-Newport. As a registered nurse, Johnston brings clinical expertise to her role and has served in the organization for more than three decades., M.D.
UAMS Medical Center
Little Rock
Michelle W. Krause was named CEO of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Medical Center in Little Rock and senior vice chancellor of UAMS Health in 2023, having held in both roles on an interim basis since 2022. She previously held numerous administrative positions, including ambulatory medical director, vice chair for clinical programs of the department of internal medicine and director of the integrated medicine service line.
Sam Lynd
NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital
Jonesboro
Sam Lynd was named administrator and CEO of NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital and NEA Baptist Health System in 2020. Lynd previously served as chief operating officer at Baptist Memorial Hospital-Memphis and administrator of Baptist’s emergency services system wide. Lynd joined the Baptist Memorial Health Care system in 2011.
Rick Naegler
Northwest Medical Center
Springdale
Rick Naegler was named market CEO of Northwest Health and CEO of Northwest Medical Center — Springdale in 2023. Naegler joined Northwest Health from Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, where he was CEO. He was previously CEO and chief nursing officer at Lake City Medical Center in Lake City, Florida, and has served as chief nursing officer at other hospitals in Florida and Texas.
Mike Perkins
Baptist Health Medical Center
Little Rock
Mike Perkins is president of Baptist Health Medical Center-Little Rock and has additional oversight at Baptist Health Rehabilitation Institute, Baptist Health Extended Care Hospital and Baptist Health College Little Rock. Perkins has been with Baptist Health for mor than three decades in various positions, including president of the North Little Rock medical center and vice president and administrator of Baptist Health’s rehabilitation institute and extended care hospital.
Ron Peterson
Baxter Health
Mountain Home
Ron Peterson is president and CEO of Baxter Health, formerly Baxter Regional Medical Center, and has served in that capacity since 2007. Previously, Peterson served as president and CEO of Regional Medical Center, a division of Trover Health System in Madisonville, Kentucky.
J. Larry Shackelford
Washington Regional Medical Center
Fayetteville
J. Larry Shackelford was named president and CEO of Washington Regional in 2017. Shackelford joined Washington Regional in 2010 and served as vice president of strategy and outreach before assuming his current role. Before coming to Washington Regional, Shackelford was CEO of Medical Associates of Northwest Arkansas and worked for the accounting firm Baird, Kurtz & Dobson.
Scott Smith
National Park Medical Center
Hot Springs
Scott Smith has served as CEO of National Park Medical Center since 2020. Smith also serves in the expanded leadership position of market CEO. He oversees both National Park Medical Center and Saline Memorial Hospital, which are both Lifepoint Health facilities. Prior to joining National Park Medical Center, Smith was CEO of Western Plains Medical Complex in Kansas.
Danna Wagnon Taylor
South Arkansas Regional Hospital
El Dorado
Danna Wagnon Taylor is the president of South Arkansas Regional Hospital. Taylor previously served in other leadership roles at the Medical Center of South Arkansas, as well as in administrative roles at UAMS and the Arkansas Department of Health. She graduated from Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia and earned a master’s degree in health care administration from Trinity University in Texas.
Brian Thomas
Jefferson Regional Medical Center
Pine Bluff
Brian Thomas has served as president and CEO of Jefferson Regional Medical Center since 2017. Thomas first joined Jefferson Regional in 1998 as the director of physician practices and operations support. He then went on to hold various leadership positions at other hospitals, including in Arkansas at Howard Memorial Hospital in Nashville, as well as out-of-state at J.F.K. Memorial Hospital in Indio, California; and Crestwood Medical Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
Matt Troup
Conway Regional Health System
Conway
Matt Troup is the president and CEO of Conway Regional Health System. Troup has more than 20 years of executive leadership experience in the health care industry and has held various administrative roles at hospitals in Texas, Oklahoma and Florida. Before joining Conway Regional in 2015, Troup served as vice president of ancillary and support services at CHI St. Vincent.
Cody Walker
Baptist Health Medical Center
North Little Rock
Cody Walker is president of Baptist Health Medical Center-North Little Rock. Walker previously served as vice president of hospital operations at the Little Rock medical center. Before joining Baptist Health in 2020, Walker held various titles at Brookwood Baptist Health in Birmingham, Alabama, including market administrator, interim COO and associate administrator.
Steven Webb
White River Health
Batesville
Steven Webb serves as president and CEO of White River Health in Batesville. Appointed in 2025, Webb previously held the role of COO at WRH. A fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, he holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from East Texas Baptist University and a Master of Health Services Administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Casey Willis
St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center
Russellville
Casey Willis is CEO of St. Mary’s Regional Health System and St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center in Russellville. She previously served as COO of National Park Medical Center in Hot Springs. She serves as a health care expert on the Federal Reserve Council for Arkansas. She earned a bachelor’s degree in management and human relations from Trevecca Nazarene University and a master’s from Martin Methodist College, both in Tennessee.
