PALLIATIVE COMMUNITY RESOURCES - Key Persons
Ann-Elizabeth has been an advocate for Palliative Care and Hospice Care for several years, while working in the Long-Term Care setting and Geriatric Clinic at UAMS. She graduated from the U of A in 2002 with a BS in Nutrition and the UAMS Sciences with a BSN, RN in 2004. She finished her MNSc in 2009, with a specialty in Geriatrics. She is board certified with the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).
Brandee Munn is an Adult-Gerontology Primary Care NP. She obtained her LPN and RN Degree at National Park College in Hot Springs. She went on to obtain her Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing from UAMS and her MSN from Walden University. Brandee has worked with the elderly population for much of her career. She is a member of The Gerontological Advanced Practice Nurses Association and The American Association of Nurse Practitioners.
Bridgette Torrance-Williams gained her Master of Science in Nursing degree from the University of TN Health Science Center in Memphis, TN with a Clinical Nurse Leader concentration. Bridgette went on to graduate with her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree with a concentration as a Family Nurse Practitioner Bridgette has clinical experience in hospice and family care.
Courtney Smith graduated in 2010 with her bachelor's degree in nursing. She worked in many different fields as an RN before returning to Harding University for her master's degree. She graduated in 2019 with her FNP and soon after became board certified. She states that working for Hospice Home Care and Palliative Community Resources is awesome experience.
Darren Freeman, M.D. has been involved with hospice and palliative care since 2008. He is a graduate of the UAMS College of Medicine with honors. He is also a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, Society of Hospital Medicine, and the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Dr. Freeman is involved in all aspects of hospice care delivery from the home to the inpatient setting.
Dr. Cassandra Hawkins is a family physician serving the Midsouth community since 2004. Dr. Hawkins has been serving as Hospice Director of Spring Valley Hospice for several years. Dr. Hawkins received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Rhodes College in Memphis, TN and completed medical school at the University of TN Health Science Center in Memphis, TN. Dr. Hawkins' interests include preventative medicine, palliative and hospice care.
Jill Thomas entered the field of nursing in 2008 where she began her career in the home health setting. She completed her master's degree becoming an Adult/Geriatric nurse practitioner at UAMS. She joined Hospice Home Care where she has been involved in the care and transition of patients nearing the end of life.
Kristen Bailey graduated from Northeast Mississippi Community College in 2009 with an Associates of Applied Science in Nursing. She worked at North Mississippi Medical Center in Tupelo MS for 10 years as an RN. Her experience as a nurse includes critical care stepdown, hospitalist, and med-surg nursing. She attended Walden University RN-BSN-MSN program from which I graduated in 2018 with a Master of Science in Nursing with a specialization as a Family Nurse Practitioner.
Kristen Woods completed her BSN degree at Henderson State University. Kristen obtained her master's degree at University of Central Arkansas as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse. Kristen is board certified from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) as a Family Nurse Practitioner. Kristen's primary palliative care skills include initiating conversations around advance care planning and goals of care, thorough and effective symptom assessment and management.
Laura Dill has been in the field of nursing since 2009 and completed her master's degree as a Family Nurse Practitioner in 2017. Her first job as a nurse was on a Hospice unit at her local hospital resulting in a continued interest in providing physical, emotional and spiritual needs. Recently, Laura has felt the calling to transition into the role of a Palliative Community Resources and Hospice Home Care provider.
Misti Turnipseed joined the Nurse Practitioner team for Hospice Home Care and Palliative Community Resources in 2020. She completed her BSN degree from Arkansas Tech University in 2009. She has experience as an RN in adult Med-Surg, hospice case management and as an RN and manager at Arkansas Children's Hospital. Misti completed her Masters degree as a Family Nurse Practitioner through the University of Central Arkansas in 2017. She received her board certification through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board (AANPCB). Misti feels blessed to be able to serve in this setting to help treat and honor those with chronic and terminal illnesses. Her passion is ensuring each patient receives holistic, evidenced based, compassionate care. Outside of the work setting, Misti is passionate about her faith and loves spending time with her husband, 3 children, and extended family.
Job Titles:
- Nurse Practitioner for Spring Valley Hospice
Rhagen Nelson works as a nurse practitioner for Spring Valley Hospice and Palliative Community Resources. She has been a nurse practitioner for 1 year and previously worked at a primary and acute care clinic. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in 2016 and then earned her Master of Science in Nursing at Mississippi University for Women in 2019. She is nationally board certified with the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) as a family nurse practitioner.
Sarah Baker has been in the medical field for over 10 years, earning her BSN from the University of Arkansas at Monticello. She worked in the medical-surgical float pool at UAMS for a majority of her nursing career and earned her medical-surgical certification in 2015. She received her MSN from Walden University in 2017 and worked at the Arkansas Heart Hospital until 2020 specializing in Vascular Medicine and chronic wound management. Sarah received board certification from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) as an Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner. Sarah is qualified and trained to diagnose and treat a wide array of chronic illness. In her spare time, Sarah enjoys spending time with her husband and 5 children.