President, CEO, and founder of the Arkansas Rural Health Partnership

Regional Director in the UAMS Officer of Strategy, Management, & Administration

Executive Director, Rural Health Association of Arkansas

Mellie currently serves as the CEO, President, and founder of the Arkansas Rural Health Partnership and as the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Regional Director of Strategy, Management, and Administration with over 23 years of experience in community and organizational networking, grant writing, and program development and implementation. Mellie founded the Arkansas Rural Health Partnership organization in 2008. It began with five critical access hospitals and has grown its membership to 19 rural hospitals, 4 FQHCs, over 120 member-owned and affiliated clinics, and three medical schools serving rural Arkansas. Mellie has obtained over $72 million in grant funds for Arkansas Rural Health Partnership and its members to implement healthcare provider training opportunities, workforce initiatives, chronic disease programs, behavioral and mental health services, and improved access to care throughout rural Arkansas. Mellie has served on the National Rural Health Association Congress and the Arkansas Department of Health Board of Directors and graduated 2019 from the NRHA Rural Fellows program. She was recently appointed to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services and currently serves on the USDA/National Rural Health Association Advisory Group, Delta Region Community Health Systems Development Advisory Committee, the NRHA Rural Community Health Initiatives workgroup, and as Executive Director and founding member of the Rural Health Association of Arkansas, Arkansas’ state rural health organization.

In 2016, Mellie was acknowledged as a Federal Office of Rural Health’s Rural Health Champion and, in 2020, was awarded the Healthcare Heroes Innovation award by Arkansas Business magazine and one of Arkansas’ Most Powerful Women of 2020 by Arkansas Business and Politics. Under Mellie’s 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. She served on the Arkansas Women’s Commission in 2022 and, in 2023, was named one of 100 Women of Impact in Arkansas by the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas and Little Rock Soiree magazine. In 2025, Mellie received Heartland Whole Health Institute’s Inaugural Bridge Award, The Samaritan Health Project’s Rural Trailblazer Award, and was named Arkansas Business’s 50 Over 50 and featured in the Health Journal of Arkansas.

Mellie has co-written rural health policy papers and presents across the country, speaking on rural hospital sustainability, rural health innovation and initiatives, and the importance of collaboration among healthcare organizations

MELLIE BOAGNI-CONTACT
Mellie@arruralhealth.org
MBBridewell@uams.edu

1st Choice Healthcare, Inc

Brigitte McDonald is the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of 1st Choice Healthcare, Inc., a non-profit organization that operates 6 community health center clinic locations in Corning, Pocahontas, Walnut Ridge, Ash Flat, Paragould and Salem. She has been involved with community health centers for over 29 years in health center management. She obtained her bachelors of science degree from Arkansas State University.

Brigitte currently serves on the Community Health Centers of Arkansas, is a member on the National Association of Community Health Centers. She also serves on the Arkansas Methodist Medical Center Foundation Board of Directors, Arkansas State University School of Nursing Advisory Council, Northeast Arkansas Opioid Coalition and past president of the Corning Area Chamber of Commerce. Brigitte is the Chair of the Corning Cares Campaign of Arkansas Methodist Medical Center Foundation which raised money for a new ambulance for the city of Corning in 2009 and 2014.

Her notable activities have included serving on the Board of Directors of Community Health Centers of Arkansas, Inc. as President for 7 years, the National Association of Community Health Centers Board of Directors for 5 years, and Vice President and President of the Corning Chamber of Commerce.

President and Chief Executive Officer

Ken Kelley is a seasoned EMS leader with over 38 years of experience as a paramedic, educator, and emergency manager. He is the President & CEO of ProMed Ambulance and a respected figure in the Arkansas EMS community. Ken holds a BBA from Southern Arkansas University, completed paramedic training at Texarkana College, and furthered his EMS management education at Rural/Metro University, Scottsdale, Arizona.

A dedicated educator, Ken retired after 28 years as Professor and EMS Program Director at South Arkansas Community College. Twice named Arkansas EMS Instructor of the Year (1996, 2018), he was also a national finalist for the Mary Ann Talley National EMT Instructor of the Year Award. His contributions to EMS education earned him recognition from the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD), University of Texas ‐ Austin.

Beyond education, Ken is a Certified Ambulance Compliance Officer, Certified Ambulance Financial Officer, Certified Ambulance Privacy Officer, and Certified Ambulance Code. He has served in numerous leadership roles, including past president of the Arkansas Ambulance Association and as an advisor to multiple Arkansas governors on EMS and trauma system policies. He continues in this capacity as Government Affairs Chair for the ArAA.

In 2019, Ken was inducted into the Arkansas EMS Hall of Fame for his lifelong dedication to EMS advancement. Outside of work, he enjoys golf, traveling, reading, tennis (yes, the darkside – pickleball as well) and, most importantly, time with family.

Baptist Health

Jay Quebedeaux serves as president of regional hospitals for Baptist Health, the Little Rock-based health care system. He oversees five of the system’s regional facilities in Arkadelphia, Heber Springs, Malvern, Monticello and Stuttgart and serves as president for Baptist Health Medical Center-Hot Spring County and Baptist Health Medical Center-Arkadelphia. Before coming to Baptist Health in 2022, Quebedeaux was CEO of the Mena Regional Health System for seven years. He was also the CEO and COO at Sabine Medical Center in Many, Louisiana, and the CEO of North Metro Medical Center in Jacksonville. Quebedeaux has additionally held leadership roles in Texas and Colorado. Quebedeaux earned his Master of Business Administration from Amberton University in Garland, Texas, and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas.

Jerry White is a dedicated rural healthcare leader who believes that everyone deserves access to quality care, no matter where they live. He brings a strong financial and operational background to his work, helping rural clinics remain sustainable while continuing to meet the needs of the communities they serve.
Throughout his career, Jerry has focused on strengthening rural healthcare organizations, supporting care teams, and building partnerships that improve access to care close to home. His experience allows him to balance sound financial stewardship with patient-centered decision-making—an especially critical skill in resource-limited rural settings.

Grounded in a genuine commitment to rural communities, Jerry is passionate about advancing practical, financially responsible solutions that improve access and outcomes for patients across Arkansas.

President & Chief Executive Officer

lDr. Brian Bell joined Arkansas Hospice in 2016 as Vice President and Chief Medical Officer and was named President and Chief Executive Officer in 2025. He is board certified both in family medicine and hospice and palliative medicine, and he is one of only a few Fellows in the Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine in the state. Dr. Bell has been working in hospice care since 2006 and is currently on the faculty at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences where he teaches hospice and palliative medicine fellows.

Currently, he serves on the Professional Education Committee of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, which is now part of the National Alliance for Care at Home. Over the years, he has given multiple lectures to UAMS case management students to better educate them on hospice and palliative care.

Dr. Bell has served on the Arkansas Physicians Orders for Life Sustaining Treatments (POLST) Taskforce since 2017 and worked with the legislature and others in its passage. Previously, he was on faculty at two medical schools in South Carolina and started the first hospice and palliative medicine fellowship in that state in 2014.

Professional Biography

Stacy Harberson is a healthcare executive with deep clinical roots and more than two decades of progressive leadership experience in rural and critical access hospital settings. She currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of Howard Memorial Hospital in Nashville, Arkansas, where she oversees organizational operations, financial performance, strategic planning, and a culture of excellence focused on quality, safety, and patient-centered care. In this role, Stacy partners closely with the Board of Directors, medical staff, leadership team, and community stakeholders to guide the hospital's strategic direction, strengthen workforce engagement, and ensure long-term sustainability.

Prior to becoming CEO in 2024, Stacy served as Howard Memorial Hospital's Chief Operating Officer, where she led operational execution of strategic initiatives and worked directly with department leaders to align performance, workflows, and resources with organizational goals. Before transitioning into executive level roles, she spent a decade as Director of Radiology at Howard Memorial Hospital, providing hands-on leadership for a full suite of radiology services. In that capacity, she managed budgeting and capital planning, productivity and staffing, performance improvement, contract negotiations, and regulatory readiness, including a strong track record of deficiency-free MQSA mammography inspections and nuclear medicine surveys.

Academically, Stacy holds a Master of Science in Business Administration, a Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Imaging Sciences, and an Associate of Science in Radiologic Technology, as well as a diploma in Nuclear Medicine. She is board certified in healthcare management as a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and registered by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists in Radiography, Mammography, Nuclear Medicine, and Computed Tomography. She was recently accepted into a Doctor of Health Administration program, further advancing her commitment to leadership in healthcare.

She fosters leadership through participation in the Dale Carnegie Immersion Course and holds certifications as a Maxwell Leadership Certified Coach, Speaker, Trainer, and Behavioral Analysis Trainer. Professionally, she has contributed nationally through roles with the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) as a Mammography Item Writer and Mammography Exam Committee Member. She has served as a professional mentor through the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT) and currently serves as an ASRT Management Delegate and board member at large for the Arkansas Society of Radiologic Technologists. Stacy sits on the Advisory Council of the Area Agency on Aging of Southwest Arkansas and is a member of the American Hospital Association Rural Health Services Committee. She is active in civic organizations such as PEO and Rotary.

Guided by principles of continuous preparation and the pursuit of knowledge, Stacy leads by serving and aims to inspire positive change in the healthcare community. Her career objective is to be an influential leader who adds genuine value to those around her and makes a noticeable difference in healthcare.

Ken Kelley, BBA, NRP, CACO, CAC, CAPO, CADS President & CEO, ProMed Ambulance | EMS Educator (Ret.)

Ken Kelley is a seasoned EMS leader with over 38 years of experience as a paramedic, educator, and emergency manager. He is the President & CEO of ProMed Ambulance and a respected figure in the Arkansas EMS community. Ken holds a BBA from Southern Arkansas University, completed paramedic training at Texarkana College, and furthered his EMS management education at Rural/Metro University, Scottsdale, Arizona.

A dedicated educator, Ken retired after 28 years as Professor and EMS Program Director at South Arkansas Community College. Twice named Arkansas EMS Instructor of the Year (1996, 2018), he was also a national finalist for the Mary Ann Talley National EMT Instructor of the Year Award. His contributions to EMS education earned him recognition from the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD), University of Texas ‐ Austin.

Beyond education, Ken is a Certified Ambulance Compliance Officer, Certified Ambulance Financial Officer, Certified Ambulance Privacy Officer, and Certified Ambulance Code. He has served in numerous leadership roles, including past president of the Arkansas Ambulance Association and as an advisor to multiple Arkansas governors on EMS and trauma system policies. He continues in this capacity as Government Affairs Chair for the ArAA.

In 2019, Ken was inducted into the Arkansas EMS Hall of Fame for his lifelong dedication to EMS advancement. Outside of work, he enjoys golf, traveling, reading, tennis (yes, the darkside – pickleball as well) and, most importantly, time with family.