For Angie Longing, president and CEO at Conway Regional Health System, healthcare is not just a career but a calling. Longing said she knew she would pursue nursing from a very young age.
“My nanny always told me I had a servant’s heart and I would make a good nurse,” she said. “Everything my nanny said was always true, so I decided this had to be true, as well. I am very blessed to have been called to be a nurse and to work alongside many dedicated and talented healthcare workers who continue to inspire me.”
Longing began her career at CHI St. Vincent Morrilton as a labor and delivery nurse more than 30 years ago, after graduating from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. It only took a few years before she became chief nursing officer at the rural hospital, eventually expanding the role to two additional facilities.
She then became executive director of nursing at St. Vincent Infirmary in Little Rock, where she oversaw medical, labor and delivery, and intensive care, before spending a year at CommonSpirit Health’s Physician Enterprise, where she led the entire Arkansas market for hospital-based physician practices.
In 2016, she became CNO at Conway Regional, a role she continued for six years through an affiliation agreement with CHI St. Vincent. During that time, she helped the health system achieve Magnet recognition from the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
She then became market chief nurse executive for the Arkansas market for CHI St. Vincent in 2022, continuing to serve the four-hospital system in that capacity even as she served as president of the Morrilton hospital and later as interim president for the Little Rock hospital.
She became president and CEO of Conway Regional in July.
“Conway Regional thoughtfully brings together local expertise, advanced technology and specialized services to create experiences that are highly international and refreshingly personal,” she said. “As a locally governed health system, our decisions are made by people who live and work in the communities we serve, allowing us to respond quickly to local healthcare needs while delivering advanced, high-quality care.”
Born and raised in Arkansas, Longing said her work has personal significance.
“Every patient we care for could be someone from my own community or even my own family,” she said. “That’s what drives my commitment to ensuring patients’ experiences are highly intentional for every person who walks through our doors.”
She added that she considers contributing to the development of those around her to be one of her strengths and feels it is essential for any leader to build strong relationships and strong teams to deliver strong results.
Working in healthcare allows her to positively impact each individual in need of the health system’s services, she said, and although she cannot be at the bedside for each interaction, she strives to be a part of providing comfort and well-being to every patient.
“It brings me great joy to know that our team makes a difference in the lives of those who need us most — whether it was one of their happiest days or one of the most difficult situations to navigate.”
••••••••
Conway Regional Health System
501.506.2747
Conway Regional Health System has answered the call to help others with bold leadership, exceptional services and an always-compassionate approach since 1921. Centered on a 180-bed acute care medical center, the health system provides a wide range of services, in addition to operating an expansive physician enterprise that includes 10 primary care clinics and seven specialty clinics. The Conway Regional team has a strong sense of accountability to the communities it serves, and that is what continues to drive the health system after more than 100 years. From providing unmatched primary and specialty care today, to training the skilled clinicians and medical leaders of tomorrow, Conway Regional’s world-class providers plan to continue caring for north central Arkansas, central Arkansas and the River Valley for decades to come.
