MENA – Healthy Connections welcomes Mena-native Lindy,
Jumper, APRN, to our location on Health Park Lane.
As an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, Jumper will
diagnose and treat illnesses and is able to interpret tests, write
prescriptions and do many common in-office procedures. APRN’s have a focus on
wellness and preventative care and work in partnership with their patients.
Jumper is a 2009 graduate of Mena High School. She
earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Arkansas Tech University and earned her Master’s Degree from
Graceland University.
“I am so excited to serve the community that I grew up
in and made me who I am,” Jumper said.
Jumper will see patients
at the Healthy Connections location at 136 Health Park Lane.
“I love to help people and I always knew I wanted to
be in the medical field. I kind of fell in love with nursing right out of the
gate,” Jumper said. “I look forward to serving the people who are seen at
Healthy Connections and the population of Polk County.
Healthy Connections, Inc., was founded in 1998 as a home
visiting program and now operates nine clinics throughout Southwest Arkansas.
Depending on location, services include primary and preventative medical care,
general dentistry, pediatrics, behavioral health, physical therapy, and cardiology.
To schedule an appointment with Jumper, please call
the clinic at (479) 437-3449. Visit www.healthy-connections.org
for more information.
American Heart Association and American Medical Association announce annual list of physician practices and health systems receiving a Target: BP™ award for their commitment to prioritize blood pressure control within the communities they serve
ARKANSAS – Healthy Connections, Inc., is recognized as a leader in the national effort to get people’s blood pressure under control and reduce the number of Americans who have heart attacks and strokes each year.
The American Heart Association (AHA) and American Medical Association (AMA) named Healthy Connections’ clinics as part of the 802 physician practices and health systems nationwide recognized for a commitment to help patients improve blood pressure control through this year’s Target: BP Recognition awards.
Launched in 2015, Target: BP is a national initiative between the AHA and AMA aimed at addressing the growing burden of high blood pressure in the U.S.
More than 1,600 physician practices and health systems nationwide have joined Target: BP™, sharing a common goal to reduce the number of adult patients with uncontrolled blood pressure and improve health outcomes associated with heart disease.
“Improving the health and well-being of the communities we serve is part of the mission at Healthy Connections,” said CEO Tony Calandro. “Target: BP is just another recognition of our staff and their commitment to making Arkansas a healthier place to live.”
Healthy Connections clinics recognized include:
- 3034 A Pine Street, Arkadelphia
- 900 Dr. Martin Luther King Boulevard, Malvern
- 534 Luzerne Street, Mount Ida (Montgomery County Community Clinic)
- 136 Health Park Drive, Mena
- 1201 Mena Street, Mena
- 102 Chippewa Court, Hot Springs
- 3604 Central Avenue, Hot Springs
- 1357 West Collin Raye Drive, De Queen
- 139 School Lane, Mena (Ouachita River Health Center, Acorn School)
Clinics can be reached by calling toll free at (888) 710-8220.
Of the 103 million Americans with high blood pressure, less than half of them have it controlled to a healthy level. This is despite the fact that high blood pressure can often be managed effectively when patients work with their physician to create and follow a treatment plan. No single risk factor has more impact on the nation’s death rates from cardiovascular disease than high blood pressure.
“Although we have the tools to easily treat high blood pressure, many patients face a variety of barriers making it difficult to successfully manage the condition. That’s why the American Heart Association and American Medical Association created the Target: BP initiative – to help bring patients and physicians together to successfully get blood pressure under control, and help patients keep it controlled,” said AMA President Barbara L. McAneny, M.D. “We applaud the physicians who are already working hard to control their patients’ blood pressure, and we will continue to urge more physician practices, health systems and patients to join this effort to prioritize blood pressure control and increase the national blood pressure control rate. Together, we will be able to save many more lives and improve health outcomes for patients throughout the nation.”
“A driving force behind Target: BP’s goal of improving cardiovascular health is the physician and patient partnership,” said AHA President Ivor Benjamin, M.D., FAHA. “We are pleased to see more and more practices prioritize blood pressure control and collaborate with their patients to achieve the program’s goal of reducing heart disease and strokes in their communities.”
Healthy Connections, along with all other practices and health systems being recognized, will be featured in upcoming Target: BP materials. This includes appearing in national journal ads, on TargetBP.org, and the Target: BP Wall of Recognition that will be displayed at AMA and AHA events throughout the year.Healthy Connections, Inc., was founded in 1998 as a home visiting program and now operates nine clinics throughout Southwest Arkansas. Depending on location, services include primary and preventative medical care, general dentistry, pediatrics, behavioral health, physical therapy and cardiology
Healthy Connections honored Dr. Lonnie Sessler with a reception attended by employees and others from the Mena health care community. Dr. Sessler is retiring after 44 years of service, including the past 15 with Healthy Connections.
After graduating from Uniontown (Kan.) High School in 1966, Dr. Sessler received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in 1970. He also married Sandra that same year.
He received his Medical Degree from the University of Wisconsin Medical School in 1974 and went on active duty with the U.S. Navy. He started his residency in Family Practice at the Naval Hospital in Jacksonville, Fla. He served as a naval physician for seven years in Florida, Tennessee and Scotland.
The family moved to Mena in 1982 and he became managing partner at Austin Medical Clinic, where he served the community for 17 years. He also worked at Mountain View Clinic before starting with Healthy Connections in Mena in 2003.
While working as a family practice physician in Mena, he was also staff physician, and sometimes Chief of Staff, at Mena Medical Center/Mena Regional Health System. Dr. Sessler was also an emergency room physician there, both full time and part time.
His military career did not end after retiring from the Navy. Dr. Sessler joined the Army National Guard and served as Battalion and Brigade Surgeon in the 142nd Field Artillery Brigade. He was placed on active duty and served in Operation Desert Storm in 1990 and 1991.
Over the years, he participated in several foreign medical missions – both through the military and privately. These missions included Panama in 1977, Guatemala in 1990, Ecuador in 1993 and Haiti in 2016 and 2017. He also plans to return to Haiti later this year.
Thanks to Dr. Sessler for all he has done for the Mena community.
Healthy Connections, Inc., has received the American Heart Association’s Check.Change.Control.Cholesterol™ Gold Award in recognition of their commitment to reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke through improved cholesterol management.
