CONWAY – Baptist Health has named April Bennett, MSN, CHFP, RN, as the new president of Baptist Health Medical Center-Conway.

Serving as the hospital's chief nursing officer since 2020, Bennett has supported the opening and expansion of multiple specialties including the hospital’s inpatient rehabilitation unit, intermediate care unit and medical/surgical unit as well as the opening of a new intensive care unit and medical/surgical unit. Her successes also include decreasing bedside RN turnover, recruiting and replacing RN travelers with full-time staff and growing the inpatient census by 20 percent.

In addition to her leadership of BHMC-Conway, Bennett also leads the medical/surgical nursing consortium for all 11 of Baptist Health’s hospitals.

Earlier this month, the American College of Healthcare Executives Regent’s Awards recognized Bennett for her exemplary leadership as an Early Career Healthcare Executive during the Arkansas Hospital Association’s Annual Meeting.

In 2020, Bennett joined Baptist Health after working for Freeman Health System in Joplin, Missouri, where she served as the vice president of nursing services for seven years.

Bennett received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Missouri Southern University and Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Bennett is married to her husband, Ryan, and has two sons, Aiden and Alex. She is a member of 2nd Baptist Church in Conway.

When Bennett is not at work, spending time with family or at the baseball field, she also finds time to be actively involved in the Conway community. She has served on the Conway Public Schools Foundation Board and University of Central Arkansas College of Health and Behavioral Sciences Advisory Board as well as the Conway Area Leadership Institute.

Additionally, Bennett has served as Northeast Regional Chair for the Arkansas Nurses Association and as a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE).