| LITTLE ROCK — Two faculty members from the UAMS College of Nursing have been selected to take part in leadership programs through the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN).
Fermin Renteria, DNP, APRN, assistant professor in the College of Nursing, was named to the 2022-23 class of the AACN’s Elevating Leaders in Academic Nursing (ELAN) program. The one-year fellowship is designed to improve the leadership skills of aspiring deans and senior faculty members. Participants begin with a five-day leadership immersion experience this summer, and they’ll attend virtual workshops and receive coaching throughout the year.
“Several of my colleagues are fellows in the ELAN program, and I see the tremendous impact it has had on their leadership skills,” said Renteria, the director of the Bachelor of Science in Nursing program on the Little Rock campus. “I am honored to have been selected and thankful to the College of Nursing for sponsoring my participation.”
“Dr. Renteria’s professionalism, teaching and curricular expertise, strong communication skills and ability to work collaboratively have garnered the respect of colleagues within the college and across the campus,” said Patricia Cowan, Ph.D., RN, dean of the College of Nursing.
Teresa Whited, DNP, APRN, associate professor and associate dean for academic programs in the College of Nursing, was selected to attend the 2022-23 AACN-Wharton Executive Leadership Program. Whited previously completed the ELAN program. The AACN-Wharton program is designed to hone participants’ skills in negotiation, leadership and influencing others.
“I am very excited and honored to be chosen for the Wharton Executive Leadership Program,” Whited said. “This is a wonderful opportunity that will help me grow and give back to the college in a stronger way.”
Whited serves in leadership posts at the state and national levels, including as co-legislative chair for the Arkansas Nurses Association-PNAP and the Arkansas chapter of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners; as a board member for the Association of Faculty for Pediatric Nurse Practitioners; committee member for the conference planning committee at national NAPNAP, and as a participant in the program director and Health Policy Special Interest groups in the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF).
“Dr. Whited’s communication skills, problem-solving abilities and commitment to team success have established her as a strong leader at UAMS,” Cowan said.
UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute and Institute for Digital Health & Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. U.S. News & World Report recognized UAMS Medical Center as a Best Hospital for 2021-22; ranked its ear, nose and throat program among the top 50 nationwide for the third year; and named five areas as high performing — colon cancer surgery, diabetes, hip replacement, knee replacement and stroke. UAMS has 3,047 students, 873 medical residents and fellows, and six dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with more than 11,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Instagram.
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