Summer 2003 - Arkansas Children's Hospital

CONTENTS
3
4
10
3 ROBOTIC HELP IN THE OR
Newly developed robotic technology is helping
ACH surgeons perform more difficult and
complex procedures with less trauma, shorter
hospital stays and faster recovery for patients.
Pictured: Brad Waggoner, a senior surgery
resident at UAMS, looks over the shoulder of
Dr. Sam Smith at the console of the robotic
surgery equipment known as the da Vinci
Surgical System.
4 IN HER OWN WORDS
Our cover story is about one family’s emotional
journey through a heart transplant. Gabrielle
Pritchett had heart problems from birth, and at
age 3 1/2 had a transplant. One year later, her
mother, Gloria, sat down to document their
story.
Pictured: Gabrielle and her mom, Gloria. At 13
months post-transplant and “doing great,”
Gabrielle and her parents hope that their visits
to the hospital will now be less frequent.
10 CHILDREN’S MIRACLE
NETWORK CELEBRATION
Another successful Children’s Miracle Network
year was celebrated with the annual Telethon
broadcast featuring donor, staff and patient
interviews along with compelling patient stories.
Pictured: Hosts from Children’s Miracle
Network television partner stations shared
their talents and their commitment to the hospital
during Telethon.This year’s hosts included
(from left): Craig O’Neill, Today’s THV-Little
Rock; Jennifer Irwin, KPOM/KFAA-Fort
Smith/Fayetteville; Shane Carter, KAIT-
Jonesboro;Anne Jansen, Today’s THV; Cindy
Langston, KTVE-El Dorado/Monroe, LA, and
Ed Buckner, Today’s THV.
President and Chief Executive Officer: Jonathan Bates, M.D.
Medical Director: Bonnie Taylor, M.D.
President, Arkansas Children’s Hospital Research Institute: Jonathan Bates, M.D. (interim)
President, Arkansas Children’s Hospital Foundation: John E. Bel
Editor: Chris McCreight
Design: Lori Howard Barlow, The Graphic Design Shop, Inc.
Photographer: Kelley Cooper
Contributors: Alyssa Anderson, Melanie Carlton, Ginger Daril, Gloria Pritchett, Emily Wade, Carissa Wagnon
THE ACHIEVER
is published by Arkansas Children Hospital Foundation for friends of ACH.
800 Marshall Street, Slot 661, Little Rock, AR 72202-3591.
(501) 364-1476 • FAX (501) 364-3644 • TDD (hearing imparired) 364-1184
www. archildrens.org
ARKANSAS CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
John Bale Jr., Chairman
Jonathan Bates, M.D., President & CEO
Harry C. Erwin III, Vice Chairman
Pat McClelland, Secretary
Dorsey Jackson, Treasurer
Sam Smith, M.D., Chief of Staff
Barbara Moore, Past Chairman
Susan Adam
Tom Baxter
Haskell Dickinson
M. Edward Drilling
Debra Fiser, M.D.
J. French Hill
Judge Marion Humphrey
Ben Hussman
Michael Joshua
Diane Mackey
Rebecca McDowell
Dan Nabholz
Trudie Kibbe Reed, Ed.D.
Skip Rutherford
Mark Saviers
Michael Schmitz, M.D.
Philip Schmidt
Robert L. Shults
Witt Stephens, Jr.
Bonnie Taylor, M.D.
Rett Tucker
Mike Vollers, M.D.
Charles B. Whiteside III
I. Dodd Wilson, M.D.
ACH RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Mark Saviers, Chairman
Jonathan Bates, M.D., Vice-Chairman for
Finance & Admin., Interim President
Debra Fiser, M.D., Vice-Chairman for Research
James Gaston, Secretary/Treasurer
Kanwaljeet "Sunny" Anand, M.B.B.S., D.Phil
LaDonna Bornhoft
Ron Clark
Kathy Counce
M. Edward Drilling
Tommy Hillman
Robert Porter, M.D.
Roger Rank, Ph.D.
E. Albert Reece, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A.
Robert Shults
I. Dodd Wilson, M.D.
ACH FOUNDATION
Jonathan Bates, M.D., Chairman
John Bel, President
Charles B. Whiteside III, Vice Chairman
Jackie Barker
Gregory E. Barnes
Tom Baxter
Frances Buchanan
Julie Bull
James Cobb
Robert G. Cress
Don Edmondson
Harry C. Erwin III
Robin George
Martin G. Gilbert
Barnett Grace
Hugh M. Hall
Anne Hickman
Ross Honea
Diane Mackey
Scott Mason
Jim McClelland
Julia Peck Mobley
Bobby J. Neill
Jeffrey Nolan
Sara M. Richardson
Vicki Saviers
Sue Trotter
Tami Underwood

HOSPITAL PROGRAMS
Hospital
Unveils New Robotic
Surgery Technology
Dr. Rick Jackson looks through robotic surgery equipment,
which gives him a 3-D image of the internal surgery area
during a procedure.
What has three-dimensional images on a television screen,
“joy sticks” that fit your fingers and mimic every movement of
your hands, and “goggles” that allow you to magnify the “playing
field?” No, it’s not the latest video game; it’s a highly
advanced robotic surgery system recently installed at Arkansas
Children’s Hospital.
The equipment, known as the da Vinci Surgical System,
arrived at ACH in early April and, as of June 30, has already
been used for 12 procedures at the hospital. ACH is only the
second independent pediatric hospital to install this equipment.
Samuel D. Smith, M.D., Chief of Staff and of Pediatric
Surgery at ACH, and professor in the Department of Surgery in
the UAMS College of Medicine, is responsible for recruiting the
new technology for the hospital. He was also instrumental in
helping to secure a $250,000 lead gift for the system. Dr. Smith
discovered the da Vinci Surgical System in 2000 when it was
unveiled in California. Three years later, the effort to bring the
da Vinci Surgical System to Arkansas is a success.
“This is the first example of using the power of computers
to make surgery more precise and safer,” says Smith. “The da
Vinci gives us the ability to see inside the patient in 3-D with
eight times the normal details. This technology also gives us
better control of the instruments and dexterity we have not
had in the past.”
Benefits to patients may include:
• Less invasive surgery
• Less blood loss and need for transfusions
• Less anesthesia
• Less post-operative pain and discomfort
• Less risk of infection
• Shorter hospital stay
• Faster recovery
• Less scarring
The system allows ACH surgeons to see
and operate in areas of a young patient’s
body that are not easily accessed or even
accessed at all through conventional surgery. With the da
Vinci System, surgeons sit at a computer console a few
feet away from the operating table. They then peer into a
3-D TV screen, which projects a magnified view of the
operative field, and use controls to manipulate miniature
robotic “hands” that are inside the child. Surgeons can
perform all of their
usual procedures with
the “hands,” but they
can adjust the scale so
that, for instance, a
human motion of one
inch makes the instruments
move only onetenth
of an inch.
The da Vinci
Surgical System was
initially designed by a
general surgeon for use
by heart surgeons. Its
introduction into pediatric
settings will likely
lead to more procedures
taking place and could
lead to new operations
which currently do not
take place at ACH.
The surgeon makes regular
surgical motions with these
hand controls that are then
translated electronically to the
instruments in the patient.The
control console filters out any
extraneous motion or tremor
by the surgeon and can adjust
the scale of the movement.
Pictured is one of the surgical
instruments used inside the
patient.The instruments have
“wrists” built into them that allow
better dexterity deep inside a
patient, making complex suturing
and cutting possible. Even smaller
instruments are currently being
developed so that patients of any
age will soon be candidates for
this new technology.
3

PATIENTS AND FAMILIES WE HAVE KNOWN
■ By Gloria Pritchett
Editor’s note: A few months ago, the ACH
Foundation staff needed a short profile on a young
heart transplant patient, Gabrielle Pritchett of
Grannis, Ark., for a presentation. We asked
Gabrielle’s mother, Gloria, if she would prefer to
have someone interview her over the phone, or if
she would rather jot down some notes that we
could then use to write a short profile. Gloria said
she preferred to write down the information, and
what she sent us was so complete and compelling,
we decided to print the story in her own words as
this issue’s cover patient story.
replace it. In July of that year we went back again. After she
recovered from that surgery she seemed to be fine, but a
check-up in October revealed that her heart valve was leaking
extensively and she would need another surgery to put in an
artificial valve. This was scheduled for the first week of
January 2002, but the Monday before, she developed bronchitis
and the surgery was cancelled. On January 30, 2002, we went
back for another check-up and to re-schedule the heart valve
replacement. This appointment would change our lives forever.
On January 30, 2002, Dr. [Paul] Seib came into Gab’s room. I
expected him to say that everything was about the same and
we could go ahead and re-schedule her heart valve replace-
Gabbi Gets a
My daughter, Gabrielle, was born on October 4, 1998.
Her big brother, Jacob, had anxiously been awaiting her
arrival. Everything went wonderfully at the hospital and we
were allowed to go home the next day. That night, however,
I realized there was something wrong. I called the doctor’s
office as soon as it opened, and upon seeing her, the
doctor sent Gabrielle to the emergency room at Mena
Medical Center. Eventually, Arkansas Children’s Hospital was
called and the helicopter deployed. Before the helicopter
left with Gabrielle, we were told that it was possibly kidney
problems but that we should call when we got to Hot
Springs, our halfway point. By the time we got to Hot
Springs and called, she had been diagnosed with multiple
heart defects.
Gabrielle had an atrial septal defect (ASD), ventrical septal
defect (VSD), sub aortic stenosis and an interrupted aortic
arch. She stayed in the neonatal ICU for one week and was
moved to cardiovascular ICU following an operation to
repair her arch. Then, at one month old, she had another
operation to repair the ASD, VSD, and sub aortic stenosis.
The surgery, however, interrupted her heart rhythm and a
pacemaker was put in. Gabrielle seemed to flourish when
we finally brought her home in December. She became
“chunky,” and when I told people about her condition, their
reply was always the same, “We would have never known if
you hadn’t told us!”
Gabbi did wonderfully, but in 2001 we were told that she
had outgrown her arch and would need another surgery to
ment. But, instead, he told me that Gab’s condition had gotten
worse and they were afraid a heart valve replacement would
be too risky since she now only had about 24 percent heart
function and her heart was enlarged because of the extra
stress. He also said that a heart transplant was definitely an
option we had to consider. I was devastated, to say the least. I
felt crushed and like somehow this was my fault. I had so
many different emotions in a span of just a few seconds.
Gabbi was officially listed on the transplant waiting list on April
17, 2002. At that time we were told that donors were few and
it might be a long time before a heart became available.
We were given a beeper and specific instructions for when
we got the call. Apparently, whoever had used the beeper
before us had given the number out because we kept getting
false alarms. About 9 p.m. Wednesday night, May 15, 2002, I
was talking on the phone with my Granny. Billy [Gabbi’s dad]
was outside swinging Jacob and Gab. As I was talking, my
beeper went off and I told my Granny that I needed to hang
up and call. When I called the number back, it was Kathy, the
transplant coordinator, on the other end asking if we were
ready. I began to panic. I ran to the door and screamed for
Billy. He came running and all I could say was, “They’ve
called, they’ve called.”
He finally had to grab me and ask, “WHO called?”
“The hospital, they’ve found a heart.” By this time Jacob
and Gab had come in and were sitting on the couch. I looked
over and they were just sitting there holding hands and crying.
I knew then that I had to pull myself together. So I knelt down
and told them the reason I was crying was I was so happy
because Gabbi was going to get a new heart. Gabbi said, “I
4

Gabbi and her brother
Jacob took time out for a
snack while she was at
ACH in the spring of
2002.At the time, she was
going through tests to
determine whether she
was a viable candidate
for a heart transplant.
New Heart
getting a new heart?” I said, “Yes, baby.” Then she looked at her
brother and excitedly said, “Brother, I getting a new heart!” Then
they started jumping up and down in circles.
As we headed out, I had so many emotions and doubts. I
cried and prayed all the way to Little Rock. I wanted the trip to
take a long time. I just kept thinking...this is it, there’s no turning
back. When we arrived at ACH we were immediately taken up to
the heart unit. Within 30 minutes Gab was ready to go back into
the surgery room. Handing Gabbi over this time was the most
difficult thing I have ever done in my life. All of a sudden the
events of that night caught up with me. I realized that the
surgeon was actually going to take my little girl’s heart completely
out of her body and put a new one in, and there was nothing
I could do. Talk about having a new perspective for faith in God!
Gab’s new heart arrived about 5:30 a.m. on May 16, 2002. At
7:30 a.m. we were allowed to go back and see her. I remember
saying to her, “You’re a big girl, you know it?” She nodded her
head! It just amazed me that she responded.
Gabbi’s recovery was remarkable! She was allowed to go
home only eight days after receiving her transplant. She has done
well ever since. It has been over a year and she hasn’t had any
problems.
Every person on the CVICU staff is truly a miracle worker
from God. From Gab’s first day at Children’s to each and every
check-up afterwards, our experience has been wonderful. I
always feel at ease and like my daughter is the most important
topic of the day for them. I completely trusted their abilities and
judgements in caring for my daughter. I couldn’t think of anywhere
else in the world I would have rather my daughter been
than at Arkansas Children’s CVICU.
I’m extremely thankful for the donor family. Without
their gift, I know that Gabbi would not be here with me
today. As we were going through counseling to prepare for
a transplant, the comment was made, “You are not praying
for someone to die. You are praying that when someone
does die, that person’s organs are donated.” The donor
family is on my mind constantly. I don’t know who they
are, but I pray for them daily. Every time Gab looks at me
and smiles or says “I love you” my heart swells because I
know that the donor family would give anything to have
their child back in their arms. Maybe one day I can meet
them and let them know that I will always, always be
grateful for the gift they have given — a second chance for
my daughter. I also hope they realize that their child still
lives in a sense because every second of every minute of
every hour their child’s heart beats inside my baby girl.
People say to me all the time, “I don’t know how you
deal with your situation.” My reply is always this: It could
be worse. Every time Gab has an appointment at
Children’s I rejoice on the way home because all my
daughter has is heart problems. There are so many things
that parents take for granted in their children’s lives, like
being able to breathe effortlessly, having the energy to run
and play, and most of all, just being there beside you. As
the mother of a transplant recipient, I will never take
another moment in Jacob’s or Gabrielle’s life for granted.
I’m thankful for the times I have to get up during the night
to get Gab a glass of milk. I’m thankful when Jacob spills a
bowl of cereal at the table. But mostly, I’m thankful that I
can look up from whatever I’m doing and my children are
there.
5

RESEARCH
CDC Awards Grant to Charlotte A. Hobbs, M.D., Ph.D.
and the ACH/UAMS Center for Birth Defects Research
$4.5 Million
Grant Awarded
Dr. Charlotte Hobbs is director of the Arkansas Center
for Birth Defects Research and Prevention, one of
seven such centers in the country.
Birth defects are the leading cause of infant mortality in
the United States. Nationwide, three to five percent of all live
births are affected with birth defects. Each year, there are
approximately 37,000 live births in Arkansas and 1,500
infants born with birth defects.
The Arkansas Center for Birth Defects Research and
Prevention, established in 1997 with funding from the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is affiliated
with Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Arkansas Children’s
Hospital Research Institute, UAMS and the Arkansas
Department of Health. Charlotte A. Hobbs, M.D., Ph.D., an
associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at UAMS,
is the Center’s director.
The Center recently received a five-year, $4.5 million
research grant from CDC. This grant was awarded through a
competitive renewal for CDC-funded Centers for Birth
Defects Research. For the next five years, the Arkansas
Center and six other centers will receive approximately
$900,000 annually from the CDC to continue research on the
causes and prevention of birth defects. The other six funded
centers are located in California, Iowa, Massachusetts, North
Carolina, Texas and Utah.
With this funding, the Center will continue to participate
in the National Birth Defects Prevention Study. The purpose
of the study is to discover environmental and genetic factors
that might increase understanding of the causes of birth
defects with the goal of preventing many birth defects in the
future. Each year, the Center researchers will conduct interviews
with 300 mothers of Arkansas children born with birth
defects and 100 mothers of children without birth defects. All
the Centers for Birth Defects Research and Prevention will
conduct similar interviews. To date, the Center has interviewed
1,283 mothers of Arkansas children born with birth
defects and 423 mothers of children born without birth
defects.
The CDC funding has allowed the Center to compete
successfully for additional funding from the National
Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention and the March of Dimes.
In 2000, the Arkansas Center was awarded a five-year grant
totaling $3.7 million from the National Institute of Child
Health and Human Development titled “Genes,
Micronutrients, and Homeobox-related Malformations.” This
study focuses on the roles of diet and genetic factors and
the association between diet- and folate-dependent metabolic
pathways and the risk of having a pregnancy affected by
congenital heart defects or neural tube defects such as spina
bifida.
Other research activities and educational interventions at
the center include:
• Establishment of a laboratory for genetic studies of
birth defects, with a special emphasis on the
development of limb reduction defects.
• Work to unravel the complex relationship between
maternal nutrient intake and environmental exposures,
genetic risks, and the occurrence of neural tube defects
such as spina bifida, heart defects and Down syndrome.
• Development of new approaches to understanding
the role of diabetes in birth defects. The risk of having
a baby with a birth defect is three to five times greater
for women with diabetes than for women without diabetes.
• Investigation of the healthcare utilization and medical
costs for children with birth defects.
• Intensive intervention efforts targeted at Arkansas
women who have had pregnancies affected by a neural
tube defect with the goal of preventing a subsequent
pregnancy affected by a neural tube defect.
The Center continues to evolve as a collaborative organization
pursuing its mission of surveillance, research and
public health programs designed to lessen the burden of
birth defects in the state and the nation.
6

HOSPITAL NEWS
Newly Elected...
ACH Foundation Board
ACH, Washington Regional
and UAMS Announce Neonatal
Intensive Care Agreement
Scott Mason
Little Rock
ACH Auxiliary President-elect
Julie Bull
Little Rock
Committee for the Future President
Tami Underwood
Magnolia
Circle of Friends State Board
President
Washington Regional Medical Center (WRMC),
Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) and the Department
of Pediatrics at the University of Arkansas for Medical
Sciences (UAMS) have signed a joint agreement to make
the WRMC Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) an
extension/satellite of ACH. This association is the first of
its kind for ACH and promises to improve healthcare for
critically ill newborns in northwest Arkansas. The care
provided at the two hospitals will be similar due to the
collaborative efforts of the medical staff.
Having an ACH neonatologist on site at WRMC who
is familiar with neonatal care delivery at ACH optimizes
not only on-going care but also the stabilization and
ACH neonatologist
and UAMS faculty
member Dr. Gregory
Franklin is providing
on-site neonatology
coverage at
Washington Regional
Medical Center in
Fayetteville as part
of a new program to
improve healthcare
for critically ill newborns
in northwest
Arkansas.
transfer of the most critically ill infants to ACH. Extremely low birth weight
babies and babies requiring additional services and/or surgery will continue to
be transferred to ACH. With the new alliance, ACH will transport these infants
back to WRMC as soon as possible to expedite growth and development
through increased family interaction. Additionally, the Department of Pediatrics
at UAMS will provide consultative assistance and ACH will provide training for
nurses, lab staff, respiratory therapists and nursery professionals.
“This coordination of talent is a significant achievement in enhancing the
availability of neonatal care in northwest Arkansas,” says Dr. Phillip Duncan,
Washington Regional vice-president of Medical Affairs. “The daily interaction
with ACH and UAMS specialists, combined with the on-site daily coverage of
an ACH neonatologist, will give parents and family members a level of comfort
with expert care available locally.”
“This association is very exciting,” says neonatologist Dr. Gregory Franklin,
“because in conjunction with the new state-of-the-art, 16-bed NICU, it enhances
Washington Regional’s 20-year history of newborn intensive care by providing
physician support, nursing education and additional transport services. The
major emphasis of this endeavor is improved outcomes for all seriously ill
infants in an environment close to home.” Dr. Franklin is on staff at ACH and
is an adjunct assistant professor of pediatrics at UAMS, in addition to being on
staff at Washington Regional.
“ACH and the UAMS Department of Pediatrics look forward to this affiliation.
It allows our institutions to have stronger ties and a true sense of teamwork,”
says Dr. Bonnie Taylor, medical director for ACH. “We can learn from
each other and we will work to support the staff and patients in the NICU at
WRMC in a more meaningful and personal way than previously.”
7

GIVING
MILLIE
GARRISON:
Turning
Tragedy into
Generosity
Millie Garrison
(left) poses for a
picture with her
friend and CPA
Jack Engelkes and
his daughter Abby.
Abby was a patient
at Arkansas Children’s
Hospital, and
because of her
great experience,
Millie made a
donation to the
hospital’s neurology
department.
■ By Alyssa Anderson
When Millie Garrison’s only son passed away at the
age of 62, she thought nothing good could come of it.
But what resulted from the tragedy was a way for Millie
to give generously to three special organizations in her
life, one of which was Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
Her son, Dr. Jim Garrison, had been a radiologist at
Conway Regional Hospital for 25 years. After Jim’s death,
everything he had went to Millie, and she was left with
the task of determining where the money would go.
“God had entrusted me with that money, and I knew
that I had to use it like He would want me to and like
Jim would want me to,” Millie Garrison says.
Millie knew she wanted to support Conway Regional
and her church, but she also wanted to fulfill her love for
children. Her experience with Arkansas Children’s
Hospital dated back to the 1950s, when her Sunday
school class gathered items for patients at the hospital.
She also had another connection to Arkansas
Children’s Hospital. Millie’s CPA, Jack Engelkes, had
become like family since her son’s death, and his 8-year-old
daughter, Abby, was treated for viral meningitis at ACH.
“We had a wonderful experience with a terrible situation,”
Engelkes says of his daughter’s stay at Arkansas
Children’s Hospital.
The Engelkes family was especially pleased with Abby’s
neurologist Dr. May Griebel, and Millie knew how pleased
they were. She decided to make a gift to Arkansas Children’s
Hospital, with the specific purpose of creating the Millie R.
Garrison Endowment in Neurology.
Millie says she has mixed feelings about the gift to
Arkansas Children’s Hospital. She was grief stricken from the
loss of her son, but she also felt joy from taking what was his
and using it to help make life better for children.
She says she is glad for the opportunity to give, and
pleased that she could create an endowment for the physician
who helped the Engelkes family.
“If I can help a child, I feel like my life is complete,”
Millie says.
PROFESSIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL
NEWLY ELECTED
8
Central PAC Chair
William A. Smith
Senior Vice President, Client Advisor-Trust
Manager, Arvest Asset Management, Little Rock
Northwest PAC Chair
Mary Ella Earle
Trust Specialist, Arvest Trust
Company, Fayetteville
South PAC Chair
Voncile Berry
Senior Vice President,
FirsTrust Financial Services, El Dorado

PROFESSIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS
CENTRAL
Chairman: William A. Smith
William C. Adkisson
Thomas C. Alderson, III
Stan Allison
Leah Atherley
Robert Barnum
Steve Bauman
Tom Baxter
Cal Biggers
William Bishop
Allen T. Brillhart
J. David Butler
Chad H. Carlson
Tom Carlson
Ashley Phillips Carper
Ben Caruth
S. Graham Catlett
Lile S. Choate
Richard P. Clark II
Joe Clement
Barry Corkern
Allison J. Cornwell
Sarah M. Cotton
Philip W. Cox
Jay Critz
Al Dalrymple
Matt De Luca
Steve DeMott
Joseph DiPietro
David L Eddy
Byron Eiseman
Chuck Erwin, III
Josh Evans
Stacey Farnell
Clay Farrar, Jr.
Frank Faust
Scott D. Fletcher
John Fortenbury
Jay B. Gadberry
Aubrey Garrison
H. Thomas Gibbons
Mildred Glenn
Jane Gunter
Charles Hadden
F. Daniel Harrelson
James Harris
Harry L. Hastings
William D. Haught
Leon Helms
John P. Hoefl
Robert J. Holdford
Max Hooper
Eric Hutchinson
Brian Irwin
Bobby Jones
Cynthia Orlicek Jones
Wilson Jones
John Kelly
Charlie Kinslow
Larry E. Kirscher
Rex Kyle
Michael F. Lax
Steve Leek
John Lessel
Jim Lincicome
Charles K. Lincoln II
S. Randolph Looney
Eddie Martin
Shirley Mazzanti
J. Cal McCastlain
Frank McGehee
William H. McKimm
John McNee
Cooper Meeks
Stan Miller
Larry Mitchell
D.E. Morgenthaler
Ann S. Morris
Matt Morrison
Richard C. Muse
Mike O’Brien
Gary Olsen
John Ostner
Tray Ott
Tom Overbey
William L. Owen
Cathy Owen
C. Thompson Owens
Jim Parker
John Peace
Richard Phelps
George N. Plastiras
Joe Polk
Jerry Roberts
James Merek Rowe
John Rush
Lee Rush
Jane Saunders
Beverly Sawyer
Martin Silverfield
Joey Small
Beth Smith
Louis Stell
William Strait
Melanie Strigel
George Surgeon
Ellen Tarkington
Brenda V. Taylor
Bill Thompson
Lee Truesdell
Andrea W. Van Deventer
Mary Ellen Vangilder
John Cogan Wade
Coleman Westbrook
Charles Whiteside III
Richard Williams
Jim Wilson
Dale Wintroath
Amy Wren
M. Gaines Young
Dan Young
NORTHEAST
Chairman: Tom D. Womack
Alan Arnold
Steve Baker
Maria Barner
Thom Beasley
Mark Belk
Bill Biggers
Niles Bise
James A.Bogle
Larry Boling
Craig Boone
Mary Lile Broadaway
Stan Brown
Doyl Brown
Harold Clark
Mike Cone
Edwin Cooper
Alfred Couch
J. David Daniel
Kamala Deese
Bryan Donaldson
Warren Dupwe
Robert Gibson
James W. Goad
Michael R. Gott
Stacey Harral
Rita Reed Harris
Jerry Hawkins
Steve Hill
Randy Hoggard
Dona Holmes
Noyl Houston
Ann B. Hudson
John Hurst
Harry Hurst, Jr.
Ann Jessup
Bryan Johnston
Robert Jones
Phil Jones
Arley Knight
Stanley R. Langley
Joy Leslie
Allyson Lewis
Ken McClanahan
Gene Lee McIlvoy, III
Dan McNeill
Steve Mitchell
Robert Norvell
Stephen Orr
Julienne Penter
T.C. Pope
Gary W. Rodgers
Nelle J. Sanguine
James V. Scurlock, II
Jack Sharp
Berl A. Smith
Jesse W. Stafford
Danette Stewart
Sherry Stringer
William J. Tomlinson
Moody Whitehead
Barbara Widner
NORTHWEST
Chairman: Mary Ella Earle
Brent Akers
Dave G. Bercaw
Anabelle Berry
Ronald G. Berry
Raymond E. Bornhoft
Dan Bower
Thomas M. Broyles
Mike Burdette
Jack Butt, II
Karen Byers
Roger A. Clark
Tamra Cochran
Shonda Coker
Jeff R. Connor
John B. Ervin
Theresa L. Ewing
Gary Fox
G. Bruce Gronen
Andy Hardie
James L. Harris
James D. (Doc) Holladay
W.A. Hudspeth III
Greg Jones
Bert Kell
Eugene Kelley
Jodie J. Kelley
Jim Kinnally
George T. Kitchens III
Amy Knight
Patrick Kunnecke
Wanda G. Lanier
Benny G. Latimer
Jennifer Law
Tabitha Lipscomb
Mark A. Lungaro
Brad Lushbaugh
Holly Marks
Mark McWhorter
Jim McWhorter
David E. Morris
John P. Neihouse
Jeff Neisler
Stephen L. Oyler
R. J. Pratt
Joseph D. Reece
Tom Reed
Christopher T. Rogers
Byron R. Russ
Richard A. Rutherford
Rob Sabata
Erick Schermerhorn
Deborah Sexton
Tom Stockland
Jim Ed Summers
Bob Taylor
David Thrasher
Janice Torbett
Gary Tucker
Scott Washburn
Roland Wilshire
Jim Wood
SOUTH
Chairman: Voncile Berry
Duke Allison
Jack W. Barker
Jim Boyette
J. Lynn Bradley
Eugene Bramblett
Gary R. Burbank
Gerald D.Burton
Richard Clark
Carolyn J. Clegg
William L. Cook,II
Connie Cox
Benny F. Cox
Billy I. Crutchfield
Don Dodson
Robert Edstrom
Frank Ellis
Nathan Evers
Harold Fincher
Hayden T. Fuller
Brooks Gill
Alan T. Gober
George T. Harris
Phil Harvey
Joseph Hickey
Janice Jenkins
Mike Jones
J. Michael Jones
Robert S. Laney
Carolyn Langston
Paul Lindsey
Bruce Maloch
Cole Martin
Gary McDonald
Paul (Gene) McPhearson
Robin Northcutt
Hugh Quimby
Jim Rice
H.M. Richmond
Daniel Rivers
Teresa Severns
Andrew Sheppard
Greg Smith
James M. Smith
David Talley, Jr.
Gregory Torrance
Mark Wiley
Bob Willett
Tim A. Womack
Walter Dale Wood
K. Dale Wood
Joe Woodward
Randell J. Wright
Jim Yeager
WEST
Chairman: William L. “Bill”
Wessels
Tony Beattie
Bruce Bethell
Charles Blaschke
Joe D. Byars
Kathryn Stocks Campbell
Matthew Carter
Richard Cazzell
John E. Chambers III
Michael Collins
David Craig
Bucky Croom
Allyn Donaubauer
Knox Dozier
David Engles
Michael F. Flynn
Winston Fulmer
R. Ray Fulmer II
Tom Gammill
Cindy Herron
Barbara B. Hill
Kris Hope
Janice Johnston
W. Sid Lawrence
Drew Linder
E. B. Lowe, Jr.
J. Randall McGinnis
Carolyn Philpot
Irvin Pratt
Thomas B. Pryor, III
Carol Y. Ransom
Donny Rogers
Joseph A. Sanford
Dennis Sbanotto
Michael Schluterman
Brian D. Schneider
Larry J. Schwartz
Mike Shumard
Kenneth P. Siebenmorgen
Arkansas Children’s Hospital
Professional Advisory Council
Certified public accountants like Jack
Englekes (page 8) can become members of
the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Professional
Advisory Council (PAC). Members of the
council are attorneys, CPAs, financial planners,
trust officers, investment managers and
real estate and insurance professionals who
have clients who could benefit from charitable
gifts as used in estate planning. PAC
members receive a monthly estate planning
newsletter and meet to review new tax laws
and ways to include Arkansas Children’s
Hospital in gift planning.
For more information about the
Professional Advisory Council, contact Ashley
Coldiron at (501) 364-1472.
9

CHILDREN’S MIRACLE NETWORK
Children’s Miracle Network
Celebration 2003
Do You
The Children’s Miracle Network broadcast used a
“miracles” theme this year to highlight the patients,
physicians, staff and donors who make excellent patient
care and research possible at ACH. The celebration of a
year’s worth of fundraising efforts by local and national
sponsors, auxiliary groups, and youth, adult and community
organizations was broadcast live from four areas
of the hospital.
When the final toteboard was rolled after 10 hours of
broadcasting — five local and five national — the figure
was a staggering $6,524,862.
Top Presenters:
Wal-Mart $1,042,502
Will Golf 4 Kids $604,000
Circle of Friends $455,000
Arkansas Log A Load For Kids $340,000
ACH Auxiliary $211,600
Committee for the Future $186,000
Stacey Sorrels of the El Dorado Wal-Mart presented her district’s total gift to
hosts Anne Jansen of Today’s THV Little Rock and Cindy Langston of KTVE in
El Dorado, and ACH patient BoJak Cates, also of El Dorado. Cates was this
year’s Children’s Miracle Network Champion Child for Arkansas and was
treated to a shopping spree by the El Dorado Wal-Mart prior to his Champion
Child trip to Washington, D.C. and Orlando, Fla.Wal-Mart District #26, which
includes the El Dorado store, raised $25,145.
Craig O’Neill of Today’s THV interviewed
Donna Parnell, ACH trauma coordinator,
about the work that her department does.
Parnell was also interviewed as one of the
employee campaign chairs representing the
ACH employees who have reached into
their own pockets to donate $340,000 in a
three-year commitment to the hospital.
10

Believe in Miracles?
A huge group of volunteers representing Wal-Mart Distribution Centers
in northwest Arkansas, including locations in Bentonville and Fort
Smith, presented their total donation of $272,661. Return Center
#8098 in Bentonville raised $142,255 of that total and was the number
one Wal-Mart fundraising location in the United States for 2002!
Chad Carlson (center), president of Committee
for the Future (CFF), and CFF member and former
ACH patient Matt Reddin, presented the
group’s donation of $186,000 to Today’s THV’s
Ed Buckner.
ACH “Miracle” kids provided a human representation of
the Telethon toteboard throughout the day.This toteboard
early in the day was assisted by hosts Shane Carter of
KAIT in Jonesboro and Jennifer Irwin of KPOM/KFAA in
Fort Smith and Fayetteville. Carter was new to the Telethon
this year.
KSSN Listeners Come Through for ACH
Vikki Stefans, M.D., a rehabilitation specialist at ACH,
talks with Bob Robbins of KSSN during the 2003
Children’s Miracle Network Radiothon. Phones rang nearly
non-stop at the event, raising $75,000 for ACH. DJs Bob
Robbins, Chuck Gatlin and Rick Steele were there to host
the event as well as Chad Heritage, KSSN’s program director
and Brian McRae, promotions director. Wild River
Country was the headline sponsor.
11

CHILDREN’S CIRCLE OF CARE
Major Donors
Celebrate
Giving
at 2003 Leadership
Conference and Gala
Circle of Care members and ACH staff attending the 2003
Leadership Conference were, back row (from left): David
Coldiron, Bob Cress, Dr. Jonathan Bates, Sam Richardson, John
Bel and Libby Smith. Front row (from left):Ashley Coldiron, Lee
Cress, Sally Bates, Helen Sharpe, Anna Kay Frueauff, Sue
Frueauff, Sara Richardson, Kelly Billingsley and Boyce Billingsley.
“...Although I may be in a position of
leadership, I have to retain the
mindset of a servant.”
Several of
Arkansas Children’s
Hospital’s top contributors
recently
traveled to Vancouver,
British
Columbia, to take part in the Children’s Circle of
Care 2003 North American Leadership Conference
and Gala.
Highlights of the three-day event, May 7-9, includ-
What Is Children’s Circle of Care?
The love of children expressed by leading benefactors
is at the heart of the Children’s Circle of Care.
More than 3,200 donors from throughout the U.S. and
Canada are members of this prestigious giving society.
Arkansas Children’s Hospital is one of 22 children’s
hospitals that participate in the Children’s Circle of
Care program. Children’s Circle of Care members are
individuals and couples who support their children’s
hospital with annual gifts of $10,000 or more.
Contributions may be made personally or directed
through a qualifying family foundation or privately
held corporation.
Last year, Circle of Care members gave $2.5 million
to Arkansas Children’s Hospital. These contributions
help support the hospital’s clinical care, research, education
and advocacy programs.
For more information about the Children’s Circle
of Care, or to become a member, contact Libby Smith
at (501) 364-5309.
— Tom Chan, Philanthropist
ed a presentation by Vancouver physician
Michael R. Hayden, a world leader in the field
of molecular medicine; entertainment by
Grammy Award-winning jazz musician Diana
Krall; and a
keynote
address by Tom Chan, a
long-standing philanthropist
who shared his guiding
principles with the
group: “I am just a steward
of what God has
given to me — I cannot
take any of my assets to
my grave. Although I
may be in a position of
leadership, I have to
retain the mindset of a
servant. Remember, the
Bible says, ‘It is more
blessed to give than to
receive.’”
“This is a great opportunity
for the hospital
leadership and major
contributors to get to
know one another better,”
says Libby Smith,
senior major gifts officer.
“Together they learn
about, and are inspired
by, the very latest breakthroughs
in life-saving
healthcare for children.”
Sponsors of the 2003
Leadership Conference & Gala
Founding Sponsors
Costco Wholesale
The Oki Foundation
Signature Sponsors
National Association of Health
Education Centers
London Air Services
Diana Krall
Gold Sponsors
The Chan Foundation of Canada
The David and Lucile Packard
Foundation
United Airlines
Silver Sponsors
The H.N. and Frances C. Berger
Foundation
The Giustra Family
The Harris Bank & BMO Harris
Private Banking
Mission Hill Family Estate
The Four Seasons Hotel Vancouver
12

AUXILIARY GROUPS
Amigos Party
in the Rock
Committee for the Future members went “South of
the Border” for their annual fundraising gala. The
muy caliente fiesta took place on Saturday, May 31,
and more than 500 guests donning sombreros came
together at the Embassy Suites Hotel in Little Rock.
The “South of the Border” party replaced the longrunning
Mardi Gras event, and the new theme was a
huge hit, raising almost $50,000 to support Arkansas
Children’s Hospital. Guests enjoyed authentic southwestern
fare, margaritas, and the tunes of popular
band Tragikly White. They were also treated to a large
selection of silent auction items. The live auction,
emceed by Heather and DC from Alice 107.7, and
Barry Brandt from KATV Channel 7, brought in over
$11,000.
Headline sponsors for the event included Isle of
Capri Casinos, Sir Loin’s Inn and The Thompson
Group. Special thanks to all of the volunteers, sponsors
and donors who helped make this new event
such a great success.
Committee for the Future is an auxiliary group of
young professionals in central Arkansas that promotes
the hospital and children’s healthcare. For more information
about joining the group, contact the ACH
Foundation at (501)-364-1477.
Hundreds of Committee for the Future’s “South of the
Border” guests sampled southwestern fare, bid on live
and silent auction items and got down to some serious
dancing with the funky sounds of Tragikly White.
Unusual items in the “South of the Border” live auction conducted
by Bob Goodman included a life-size Spiderman doll
donated by Blockbuster, a Santa Claus oil painting donated
by Heber Springs artist Ellen Hobgood, and a guitar, autographed
by the group Creedence Clearwater Revival and
modeled by auction chair Mary Ellen Richards.The guitar
was donated by Hollywood and Sports Classics.
CHILDREN’S MIRACLE NETWORK
RE/MAX Offices Enjoy a Day of Celebration and Inspiration
In April, agents from several RE/MAX offices gathered at Arkansas
Children’s Hospital to celebrate the past year’s accomplishments.Those
in attendance enjoyed an awards program, as well as presentations by
hospital staff. Participants also had lunch and toured the hospital’s new
pediatric intensive care unit.
Eight RE/MAX locations were recognized as Miracle Offices including
Cabot, Conway, El Dorado, Jonesboro, Maumelle, Mena, Russellville, and
RE/MAX Affiliates Realty in Little Rock. In order to obtain Miracle Office
status, all agents must make a contribution to Children’s Miracle Network
(CMN) through each real estate transaction. Locally, donations to CMN
benefit Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
RE/MAX Riverland Realtors in Maumelle received the top award for
offices with more than 11 agents.They raised $13,974 for the hospital.
Pictured from left: Robert Spinner, Pam Skiles, Carrie Jones, Charles
Keener and ACH community development coordinator Amy Brantley.
13

AUXILIARY GROUPS
Small Miracles
Celebrated
Circle of Friends members past and present gathered
on May 30 and 31 on the campus of Arkansas
Children’s Hospital to recognize “Twenty Years of
Celebrating Small Miracles.” That was the theme of
this year’s annual state conference, as the statewide
volunteer organization enjoyed its 20th year of service
to Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
Circle of Friends, known as TWIGS in the early
days, was started in 1983 with a committee of only
seven volunteers. Today, the group, boasting 700
members, has grown into one of the largest volunteer
networks in the state. A total of 18 chapters encompass
the state, bringing the mission of care, love and
hope begun by Arkansas Children’s Hospital one step
closer to each Arkansas community. The focus of the
chapters is not only to raise funds, but also to bring
educational and outreach programs to their communities
in an effort to keep kids safe and healthy and to
hopefully prevent them from ever needing to set foot
inside Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
The state conference is a time to come together,
celebrate the achievements of the past year and get
motivated for the upcoming year of projects. As a
part of the conference, members had the opportunity
to tour the hospital and hear from guest speakers.
They were able to see and hear about the amazing
things that their support makes possible. The conference
wrapped up with an awards ceremony to recognize
those chapters which have gone above and
beyond in their efforts for the year.
Past Circle of Friends presidents were on hand as
special guests, and the founder of the group, Anne
Hickman, was the featured speaker.
Circle of Friends director Cristy Holland Sowell
announced that in 20 years the group had donated
more than $5.8 million to the hospital. “You are proof
that kind hearts and determination can make a difference
in the lives of children,” said Holland Sowell
during the program. “Circle of Friends chapters have
created and committed themselves to a legacy of
care, love and hope. Over a span of 20 years, children
have grown up and had families of their
own...children who might not have had a chance at
tomorrow if not for your thoughtful efforts and amazing
perseverance.”
Circle of Friends State
Board member Angela
Walls, with children
Kaitlyn and Jaelyn, presented
the 2002 Circle
of Friends contribution
of $455,000 to Jennifer
Irwin of KPOM/KFAA in
Fort Smith/
Fayetteville during the
Children’s Miracle
Network Telethon.
During the
Children’s Miracle
Network Telethon
ACH Auxiliary president
Jane Arthurs
(left) presented the
organization’s
fundraising total of
$211,600 to
Jennifer Irwin.
ACH’s Auxiliary Has
a Goal-Busting Year
Members of the Arkansas Children’s Hospital’s Auxiliary recently
completed their fundraising year and announced that they exceeded
their goal of $185,000.
The Auxiliary, established in 1967, has 350 women — the highest
membership in its history — and this year’s gift was $211,600.
In addition to dues, the Auxiliary has three primary fundraising
projects: the Playaway Gift Shop, the Holiday Card Project and
STAR ACHievers.
The Playaway Gift Shop was the largest generator of funds. The
majority of the staff in the gift shop are volunteers who work
along with the paid employees.
The Holiday Card Project features cards designed by former or
current patients and by a chosen guest artist. Operating with volunteers
only, sales are conducted through mail and phone orders,
ACH’s website, the Playaway Gift Shop and retail outlets statewide.
Sponsors underwrite the cost of the cards.
Begun last year, the STAR ACHievers program is designed to
introduce 14-year-old girls to the hospital and the healthcare profession.
The girls have the opportunity to attend monthly lectures,
roundtable discussions and events beginning in September.
“Our major purpose is to raise money for the hospital,” said
outgoing president Jane Arthurs. “Through these projects, Auxiliary
members give their time, energy and talents to provide critical
funding for the hospital and the ACH Research Institute.”
14

CHILDREN’S MIRACLE NETWORK
LOG A LOAD:
Making Miracles Possible
What does a truckload of logs remind you of? For some
people, it is a reminder of roadway frustrations. For Tammy
Hill, a nurse at Arkansas Children’s Hospital’s Infant and
Toddler Unit, it is a reminder of her father, James “J.D.”
Vaught, who died in April 2003. Vaught, a logger in Dierks,
was a member of Log A Load For Kids, a Children’s
Miracle Network national sponsor.
For 10 years, the Log A Load For Kids program
has provided care, love and hope to the
patients of Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
Through June 2003, Log A Load has raised
more than $2.5 million for ACH.
Through Log A Load, people in the forest
products industry raise money for ACH through
live and silent auctions, fish fries, and much
more. The many truckers, loggers and
One of J.D. other timber industry professionals who
Vaught’s belong to Log A Load are a committed,
favorite hats hardworking, fun-loving group. They
was his Log A realize that kids are our most precious
Load For Kids resource and work to raise money so
hat.
that children can get the care they need,
when they need it.
J.D. Vaught looked forward to selling raffle tickets at
events every year to raise money for ACH. One year he single-handedly
sold $8,000 in tickets, the most in his district.
“Instead of asking people whether they wanted to buy a
ticket, he asked how many they would like,” says Hill. “ He
always went the extra mile to raise money for Arkansas
Children’s Hospital.”
Perhaps a large part of Vaught’s drive to be a top seller
was his personal connection to the hospital and his understanding
of the life-saving medical care, love and hope that
only Arkansas Children’s Hospital can provide. Two of his
grandsons have been hospitalized at Arkansas Children’s
Hospital and his daughter is an ACH employee.
“I know my father would want more people to be aware
of Log A Load For Kids,” says Hill. “Every time you see a
log truck, I hope it reminds you of the many dedicated
drivers and others in the timber industry who help benefit
not only the ill children of our state, but also across the
globe.”
The members of Log A Load have helped Arkansas’
children in a number of ways. They help maintain state-ofthe-art
helicopters that can be anywhere within the state in
less than one hour through the Log A Load For Kids
Endowment Fund. These helicopters carry the most critically
ill and injured children to ACH.
Log A Load has also helped to mend the broken
hearts, both literally and figuratively, of patients and
their families through its support of the cardiac program
at ACH. The funding of the Log A Load Endowed Chair
in Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery helped ACH recruit
world-renowned heart surgeon, Dr. Jonathan
Drummond-Webb. Along with a stellar staff of pediatric
cardiac specialists, Dr. Drummond-Webb has transformed
the ACH Heart Center into one of the top in the
nation.
Miracles happen every day at ACH. The support of
people like J.D. Vaught and the many people he represents,
and organizations such as Log A Load For Kids,
help make those miracles possible.
Will Fish 4 Kids
More than 140 anglers gathered at Beaver Lake on April
13 and 14 to cast their lines in search of a prize-winning
bass in the annual Will Fish 4 Kids tournament.Wal-Mart
supplier and vendor company volunteers organized the
event and presented a check for $74,000 to Arkansas
Children’s Hospital.Winners (center) Justin Harveston
and Scott Martin of Stanley Works were presented trophies
by Adrienne Sapp and Bill Kerr of Wal-Mart.Wal-
Mart Foundation was headline sponsor for the event.
15

Legends in the Rock
The playroom at
Arkansas Children’s
Hospital was quite
busy recently with
a visit from basketball
star Corliss
Williamson and his
pals Alex Dillard
and Dallas Cowboy
Reggie Swinton.
Here the guys pose
for a photo with
patient Landon
Brownfiel.
Williamson was
taking a break
from his Legends in
the Rock program,
which included
basketball clinics
for youth and a
celebrity basketball
tournament. Part of
the proceeds from
Legends in the Rock
will be donated to
ACH.
Arkansas Children’s Hospital Foundation
800 Marshall Street/Slot 661
Little Rock, AR 72202-3591
Address Service Requested
Nonprofit
Organization
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PAID
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