Arkansas Children’s Hospital Names Nurse Leader Heather Cherry, DNP, MHA, RN, NE-BC, as Chief Nursing Officer

LITTLE ROCK, AR. (May 3, 2023) – Arkansas Children’s Hospital has hired Heather Cherry, DNP, MHA, RN, NE-BC, to lead nursing operations as senior vice president and chief nursing officer. Cherry, who brings more than two decades of nursing leadership experience in children’s hospitals and academic medical center operations to the role, most recently served as assistant vice president of Nursing at Texas Children’s Hospital.

“Heather brings to Arkansas Children’s Hospital a passion for building and supporting exceptional teams and partnering across organizations to deliver world-class patient care and quality outcomes,” said Arkansas Children’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer Jamie Wiggins, PhD, MBA, RN, FACHE. “Her work across service lines ranging from neonatal care and emergency centers to quality and performance improvement will further strengthen Arkansas Children’s Hospital on our journey to deliver unprecedented child health.”

Cherry also held nursing leadership roles at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and Alton Memorial Hospital in Alton, Ill.

She earned a doctorate of Nursing Practice from Cizik School of Nursing – UT Health Sciences Center in Houston, Texas, and a master’s of Health Administration from St. Louis University.

Cherry is also a member of the American Organization of Nurse Leaders and American College of Healthcare Executives, and is trained in Lean methodology, Advanced Quality Improvement and as a Six Sigma Black Belt. Originally from the Midwest, Heather and her two children moved to Little Rock as she joins the Arkansas Children’s Hospital team.

ABOUT ARKANSAS CHILDREN’S 

Arkansas Children's is the only healthcare system in the state solely dedicated to caring for Arkansas' more than 700,000 children. The private, non-profit organization includes two pediatric hospitals, a pediatric research institute and USDA nutrition center, a philanthropic foundation, a nursery alliance, statewide clinics, and many education and outreach programs — all focused on fulfilling a promise to define and deliver unprecedented child health. Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) is a 336-bed, Magnet-recognized facility in Little Rock operating the state’s only Level I pediatric trauma center; the state's only burn center; the state's only Level IV neonatal intensive care unit; the state's only pediatric intensive care unit; the state’s only pediatric surgery program with Level 1 verification from the American College of Surgeons (ACS); the state’s only magnetoencephalography (MEG) system for neurosurgical planning and cutting-edge research; and the state's only nationally recognized pediatric transport program. Arkansas Children’s Hospital is nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report in seven pediatric specialties (2022—2023): Cancer, Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Diabetes & Endocrinology, Nephrology, Neurology & Neurosurgery, Pulmonology and Urology. Arkansas Children’s Northwest (ACNW), the first and only pediatric hospital in the Northwest Arkansas region, is a level IV pediatric trauma center. ACNW operates a 24-bed inpatient unit; a surgical unit with five operating rooms; outpatient clinics offering over 20 subspecialties; diagnostic services; imaging capabilities; occupational therapy services; and Northwest Arkansas' only pediatric emergency department, equipped with 30 exam rooms. Generous philanthropic and volunteer engagement has sustained Arkansas Children's since it began as an orphanage in 1912, and today ensures the system can deliver on its promise of unprecedented child health. To learn more, visit archildrens.org.