Healthy Connections, Inc., has awarded Dr. Bill Beasley, DDS, with its Lifetime Achievement Award.
Beasley, who is a dentist at Healthy Connections Mena (136 Health Park Lane), has been with Healthy Connections for more than seven years.
“It means a tremendous amount to me. Healthy Connections has really been good to me. I think that they have given me the freedom to practice in a manner that I wanted to do. And to do really high quality of work. They’ve provided what I needed and I have been able to do everything from implants to simple extractions,” Beasley said.
Dr. Beasley came to Healthy Connections in 2012 after working the previous 11 years in Little Rock. While he enjoyed working, he felt like he needed to get back to his roots a bit. Early in his career he had worked in public health and saw Healthy Connections as an opportunity to get back to that. He and his wife moved from Hot Springs Village to Mena and a special relationship started between him and Healthy Connections.
“I really enjoy just trying to meet the needs of people who don’t have the resources to get what they need,” Dr. Beasley said. “I just always felt like I’m going to take care of Healthy Connections and they’re going to take care of me, and the Lord is going to take care of both of us. That’s just been my attitude.”
And through a number of transitional stages in the dental department, Dr. Beasley has been a constant.
“Dr. Beasley has been a trooper for us,” said Healthy Connections CEO Tony Calandro. “He has been steady, consistent, and done whatever we needed him to do. Whenever others have left and there have been pieces to pick up, he’s been there. You couldn’t ask for a better employee.”
Dr. Beasley’s schedule has been reduced a bit in recent years. And now he’s involved in mentoring the newest dentists at Healthy Connections Mena, including Ian Craig, DMD, and Rachel Schroepfer, DMD.
“I have always felt the support from the administration and the Board, that they were able to help me. I’ve worked with many people in the dental department for a long time and really appreciate all of them,” Dr. Beasley said. “Healthy Connections could not have been any better, and I’ve tried to do my part for them. I have had a great experience and been so blessed to get to know so many people.”
Learn more about the Healthy Connections dental programs in Mena and Hot Springs at www.healthy-connections.org/dental
Congratulations to our Healthy Connections September Employees of the Month:
• East: Celene Viana
• West: Dana Logan
As Employees of the Month, they are entitled to either a $50 gift card or one day off.
Celene and Dana exemplify the Healthy Connections pillars of Excellence, Compassion, and Community.
Celene is a LPN at the Hot Springs Central Clinic, while Dana is a phlebotomist in Mena.
Check out what one of Celene’s co-workers had to say about her:
- “Celene is a team player. She is asked to do anything and everything and she is always willing to go above and beyond without push back.”
And what some of Dana’s co-workers had to say about her
- “Dana is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met and THE nicest co-worker. She always has a positive attitude and a smile on her face. If she is having a bad day I promise you will never know it. She is the first to volunteer when we need help cleaning the clinic and she does it with a grateful heart. We need more Dana’s in the world.”
“Dana is always courteous. Keeps a smile on her face and always helpful.”
“Loves to work, enjoys helping others and is a hard-working mother.”
Do you know who should be our next Healthy Connections Employees of the Month? Submit your nomination at www.healthy-connections.org/nominate.
Congratulations to our Healthy Connections August Employees of the Month:
- West: Mary Smith
- East: Andrea Pilcher, LPN
As Employees of the Month, they are entitled to either a $50 gift card or one day off.
Mary and Andrea exemplify the Healthy Connections pillars of Excellence, Compassion, and Community. Mary works in the Business Office in Mena, while Andrea works at the Hot Springs Central clinic.
Check out what Mary’s co-workers had to say about her:
- “She works very hard to keep all the finances up and running. She really holds the whole department together.”
And what Andrea’s co-workers had to say about her:
- “Over the past month, our clinic has had to adjust to being open five days a week. Our clinic is already short-handed when it comes to nurses and Andrea has stepped up to volunteer to work five days a week. Because she is working with multiple providers, Andrea comes in early and stays late most days to ensure her patient care is complete. Although this transition has been difficult at times, Andrea consistently vows to put the patients first and work hard to ensure her providers are taken care of.”
- “We have been low staffed this month and she has done an amazing job of working with the team and working her hardest each and every day, even when others were not. She shows compassion and care for the patients and works well with the rest of the staff!”
Do you know who should be our next Healthy Connections Employees of the Month? Submit your nomination at www.healthy-connections.org/nominate.
Healthy Connections will now have Friday clinic hours at six Arkansas locations.
In order to increase accessibility and the overall experience for patients, clinics in Mena, Hot Springs, Malvern, Mount Ida, and De Queen are now open to see family medical and primary care patients on Fridays.
The Friday clinics will be:
- Mena, 136 Health Park Lane, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Hot Springs, 102 Chippewa Court, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Hot Springs, 3604 Central Avenue, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
- Malvern Clinic, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Mount Ida (Montgomery County Community Clinic), 534 Luzerne Street, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
- DeQueen, 1367 W. Collin Raye Drive, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.
Call (888) 710-8220 for an appointment. All clinics accept most forms of medical insurance, Medicaid and Medicare; however, no person will be turned away for lack of insurance. Qualified families will be charged according to their total family income (please see our discounted medical & dental care program page for details). Enrollment assistance is also available for Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act.
Note that specialty services, dental, behavioral health, and some imaging services may not be available during this time. Acute pediatrics patients will be seen at the adult medicine clinics in Hot Springs and DeQueen.
Healthy Connections operates 10 clinics, including three school-based health centers, in Arkansas. For more information, visit www.healthy-connections.org.
Each February, the American Dental Association (ADA) sponsors National Children’s Dental Health month to raise awareness about the importance of oral health. This year’s slogan is: “Brush and clean in between to build a healthy smile.”
Healthy smile tips include:
- Brush your teeth twice a day with a fluoride toothpaste
- Clean between your teeth daily
- Eat a healthy diet that limits sugary beverages and snacks
- See your dentist regularly for prevention and treatment of oral disease
This month is also a big one for Healthy Connections. Since 2002, we have offered dental sealants to elementary students in Polk County and provided oral cancer screenings to area high school students. The program kicks off Feb. 7 and runs on Thursdays throughout February.
Dental sealants are a plastic material that is placed by dental professionals on the chewing surfaces of permanent back teeth to prevent cavities. The sealant provides a physical barrier that prevents cavity-causing bacteria from attacking the surface of the tooth. The thinner, weaker enamel in the deep grooves of the chewing surface of the tooth cause this area to be prone to tooth decay. Left untreated, tooth decay can eventually lead to pain, poor dental and physical health and tooth loss.
Dental sealants on permanent molars reduce the risk of cavities by 80 percent.
This experience is often the child’s first trip to the dentist so the Healthy Connections’ team blocks off a full day of regular patient care and engages help from the entire staff to provide a fun atmosphere where the children are taught the proper techniques in brushing and the benefits of oral health habits. By increasing dental health and hygiene, the child’s overall health outlook is enhanced and improved. Healthy Connections’ dental sealant program reflects our mission and vision to promote health and wellness for our children and families in the Western Arkansas area.
Children that participate in our Dental Sealant Program receive instruction in Oral Hygiene, such as how to brush and floss, and are given a toothbrush and dental floss to take home.
Visit www.-healthy-connections.org/dental-sealants/ for more information about the program.
And check out www.healthy-connections.org/teeth/ for more information on our dental clinics in Mena and Hot Springs.
Terri Devlin, MD
Lindy Jumper, APRN
Eric Webb, PA
Carolin Hockersmith, APRN
In order to better serve our patients and families, Healthy Connections is making some changes to its schedule in Mena and De Queen beginning the week of Jan. 14-18..
The Healthy Connections location on Health Park Drive will now be open from 7:45 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday. APRN Lindy Jumper will see both children and adults on Friday as we expand the schedule at the main location.
The Healthy Connections location on Mena Street will switch to a 7:45 a.m. – 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday schedule.
The Healthy Connections location in De Queen will now be open from 7:45 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Pediatrician Terri Devlin, MD, will see pediatrics patients Monday through Thursday. APRN Carolin Hockersmith will see adult patients Wednesday through Friday. Hockersmith will also see sick children on Fridays, but well-child checkups will only be done Monday through Thursday.
The Healthy Connections location at the Ouachita River Health Center at Acorn School remains open 7:45 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Eric Webb, PA, will see patients on Mondays. Jumper will see patients on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
For a complete list of providers and clinic locations and hours, visit www.healthy-connections.org.
