Pierson Receives Arkansas Hospital Association’s Highest Honor

By Jon Parham

 Richard Pierson receives the  Arkansas Hospital Association’s A. Allen Weintraub Memorial Award Oct. 7 from James Magee, AHA chairman and executive director of Piggott Community Hospital.
Richard Pierson (left) receives the Arkansas Hospital Association’s A. Allen Weintraub Memorial Award Oct. 7 from James Magee, AHA chairman and executive director of Piggott Community Hospital.

Pierson received the award Oct. 7 during the association’s 80th annual meeting at the Peabody Hotel in Little Rock.

“If we lose sight of the patient, we’re missing the reason we’re all here,” Pierson said in accepting the award. “I like to go up and see the units and the people who are actually providing patient care. I’m thankful to be able to work in a field where we provide service to others.”

Pierson has served as vice chancellor for Clinical Programs at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences since 1986. He joined UAMS in 1981 as a hospital director. Pierson has directed the Medical Center during an unprecedented period of growth in both clinical programs and facilities at the state’s only academic medical center.

He helped establish a Clinical Pastoral Education program and was instrumental in the formation and development of QualChoice Insurance Company. He was also actively involved in the planning and construction of a 10-story, 540,000-square-foot hospital that opened January 2009.

Pierson has been active in hospital association activities on both the state and national levels, including service on three committees of the American Hospital Association.

He has also served as chairman of the Arkansas State Kidney Disease Commission, held positions on the University Hospital Consortium Inc. and the Association of American Medical Colleges, and is past president of the National Residency Match Program. He is currently chairman of the board of QualChoice Insurance Company and serves on the Industry Council–Healthcare of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. He is the past president of the Central Arkansas Executives Association and was active in the Quapaw Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America and the Pulaski County Special School District.

The Weintraub Award is named for the late administrator of St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center in Little Rock.

The Office of Communications and Marketing received five Diamond Awards from the Arkansas Hospital Association. The awards, the highest given by the group, were for a cardiovascular newspaper ad series, the Rock Star Lounge invitation, the UAMS HouseCall magazine, Seek magazine and the College of Medicine magazine. The office also received six Certificates of Excellence and five Judge’s Merit mentions.