CEO, Arkansas Rural Health Partnership Regional Director, UAMS Office of Strategy, Management and Administration
WHAT DO YOU LOVE BEST ABOUT WHAT YOU DO?
It’s simple — being able to make a difference for rural folks. There is nothing like being able to create a project or provide a service that truly affects the people that are your community. It creates a pay-it-forward. It seems the more we are able to provide for our community, it comes back two-fold.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A YOUNG WOMAN STARTING HER CAREER?
It’s what I tell my daughters who are 21 and 23. 1) Only you yourself know what you are capable of achieving. 2) You have to believe in yourself before others will believe in you. 3) Find something that you are passionate about and make it your mission. Don’t limit yourself. 4) You don’t know what you are capable of doing until you try. 5) Asking the right questions and really listening can get you a long way in creating needed change. You will always need others; you can’t possibly be the expert on everything. 6) Whatever you do, don’t ever say you “will never” do something. Life just doesn’t work like that.
HOW DID YOUR EDUCATION PREPARE YOU FOR YOUR CAREER?
I have a bachelor’s degree in English with a master’s in management tourism and recreation. My ability to communicate the needs of rural Arkansas as a grant writer along with the knowledge to work with communities and address economic impact brought me into the health care field with a unique perspective. I credit a lot to the college I attended (Spring Hill College) that molded so many of us to become responsible leaders in service to others. It was expected for me to go out and make a difference.
WHICH OF YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE YOU MOST PROUD?
Personally, definitely my children. Professionally, I think I’ve helped raise awareness of the needs and concerns of our rural hospitals and providers. I hope my efforts will in some way keep them open and serving rural Arkansans.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE QUOTE?
It’s the poster I have framed right by my desk. “The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects the wind to change. A leader adjusts the sails.” A leader is a person who can adapt and lead through change. A good leader has the ability to motivate others, work well across different cultures, agendas and sectors, and the ability to adapt to and facilitate change. This willingness to get out of one’s comfort zone and learn continuously as a way of adapting to changed surroundings marks a key difference between successful and unsuccessful leaders.
Mellie Boagni Bridewell currently serves as a regional director in the UAMS Office of Strategy, Management and Administration and as the CEO of the Arkansas Rural Health Partnership (ARHP). Bridewell created the Arkansas Rural Health Partnership organization in 2007, which began with five critical-access hospitals and has grown to 14 rural hospitals and two federally qualified health centers spanning the south Arkansas region. She has obtained more than $24.5 million dollars in grant funds and contributions to improve health care delivery and infrastructure in rural south Arkansas.
Bridewell currently serves on the National Rural Health Association (NRHA) Congress and graduated last year as one of 15 NRHA National Rural Health Fellows and serves on numerous local and national boards. In 2016, Bridewell was acknowledged as a Federal Office of Rural Health’s Rural Health Champion. Under her leadership, ARHP has been recognized nationally as a Rural Health Community Champion for Collaborative Partnerships by the federal Office of Rural Health and as Outstanding Network of the Year by the National Cooperative of Health Networks Association.