LAKE VILLAGE -- Rex Jones is joining the Arkansas Rural Health Partnership (ARHP) as chief executive officer, effective May 1, 2022. He will succeed Mellie Bridewell, who will continue to serve the nonprofit as president, a new senior leadership position that will allow her to focus on strategic growth initiatives for the organization. Bridewell also will maintain her position at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), which is a partner in the ARHP, as a regional director in the Office of Strategy Management.

As ARHP's CEO, Jones will work with the UAMS strategy team on initiatives and collaborations focused on improving health care access and delivery in rural Arkansas.

Jones joins UAMS and the ARHP from Magnolia Regional Medical Center, where he is the chief executive officer, a position he has held since 2016. He also has served on the AHRP board of directors for eight years, including a stint as the board's president from 2015 to 2016. A hospital administrator for 25 years, Jones has led rural hospitals in three states.

Despite the impacts of COVID-19, the ARHP has experienced exponential growth within the past few years, including the addition of new rural hospital members, cross-sectional partners, a significant increase in grant and contract funding, and various new programs and services benefiting the health and wellness of rural residents. In addition, ARHP senior leadership have been consistently invited to contribute to planning and decision-making efforts impacting rural health at the local, regional, and national-level.

ARHP board members and senior leadership outlined the need for enhanced infrastructure and organizational restructuring to support continued growth during a strategic planning retreat held in May 2021.

The first phase of infrastructure support was the addition of Frazier Edwards as the new vice president of strategic partnerships and business development. Edwards was hired in Fall 2021 to develop business lines directly supporting the financial viability of ARHP hospital members. The second phase of key personnel support is the addition of the president role.