White County Medical Center has announced that Cardiologist John Henderson, M.D., was recently named a recipient of the Arkansas Hospital Association Distinguished Service Award. This year, the AHA gave only three Distinguished Service Awards to outstanding individuals who have promoted the cause of the healthcare industry.
“We are incredibly proud that the AHA recognized Dr. Henderson with this great honor,” said WCMC President and CEO Ray Montgomery. “For service that reflects involvement and influence through many roles in healthcare in the local medical community and throughout Arkansas, Dr. Henderson is a very deserving recipient.”
Dr. Henderson joined Searcy Medical Center in July 1975 and has worked tirelessly since to advocate patient care and quality through his clinic practice and involvement in statewide organizations to advance quality patient care, education and medical excellence.
Although his official retirement came in January 2012, Dr. Henderson continues to be active in the local medical community by serving as the Medical Director of Quality and Patient Safety at White County Medical Center and teaching as an associate professor with the Harding University Physician Assistant Program. Additionally, he volunteers at Christian Health Ministries in Searcy, a clinic that provides needed medical care to underserved residents in White County.
“Even though he has retired from direct patient care, he remains very active in trying to influence the next generation of patient caregivers in his role as an associate professor with the Harding University Physician Assistant program,” Montgomery said.
Additionally, Dr. Henderson serves as the Medical Director of Quality and Patient Safety for our hospital, Montgomery added. “We well know the importance of quality and patient safety and have been focused on that for many years. As we guided our attention and focus in that area, we found a very willing individual in Dr. Henderson, who has been both compassionate and extremely quality oriented; quality and patient safety has always been very much in line with his style of practice.”
WCMC named Dr. Henderson as the Medical Director of Quality and Patient Safety in January 2012, the same month he retired from his cardiology practice. Dr. Henderson is the first physician to fill the role as WCMC takes a proactive approach to the quality of care and patient safety within the hospital.
