Austin DeHart, M.D., is the department’s pediatric otolaryngology fellow, based at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. DeHart earned her medical degree from Virginia Commonwealth University, where she also completed her residency. She has presented several posters on a variety of topics, including tinnitus, cochlear implantation, ENT repairs, tumors and pediatric cases. She has volunteered with a medical outreach in Ecuador and a library-building program in Uganda.
DeHart is interested in pediatric ENT because it allows her to improve the quality of life for kids and families. She plans to continue in academic practice throughout her career. She has a 3-year-old collie named Digit, plays guitar and loves traveling and scuba diving. She is especially interested in pediatric otology and airway and vascular malformations.
Joshua Jervis-Bardy, M.D., Ph.D., is the department’s otology fellow. Jervis-Bardy earned his medical degree from the University of Adelaide, Australia, and spent two years as a general hospital doctor and finished his internship at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. He earned a Ph.D. in surgery from the University of Adelaide, with a research focus on post-surgical staphylococcus aureus in chronic rhinosinusitis. He has several publications on staphylococcus aureus, rhinosinusitis and other topics, including hearing loss and sinusitis.
After the fellowship, Jervis-Bardy hopes to return to his colleagues in Adelaide with new skills in cochlear implant, stapes and chronic ear surgery. He hopes to grow cochlear implant services in general and begin an academic service specifically aimed at better management of chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) in Australia’s Indigenous population, where poverty, discrimination, geographical distance and health literacy have been barriers to care.
Outside of medicine, Jervis-Bardy and his wife welcomed their first child in February. He also enjoys running and yoga.
Residents
Erin Creighton, M.D., earned a Bachelor of Science from Tulane University and her medical degree from UAMS. Creighton is interested in surgery and likes the variety inherit to the specialty – oncology, pediatrics, anatomy, social psychology and education. She is interested in reducing the amount of opioids used by patients after surgery. In her free time, she enjoys running and taking spin and barre classes and hanging out with her Labrador retrievers, Ellie and Ro.
Blake Hollowoa, M.D., earned his bachelor’s degree from Arkansas Tech University and medical degree from UAMS. Hollowoa is interested in head and neck surgery and facial plastic and reconstructive surgery. He is attracted to ENT as a surgical career that is both challenging and rewarding. He plans to complete a fellowship and practice in an academic setting. In his free time, he enjoys golfing, woodworking, kayaking, camping and hanging out with his yellow Labrador retriever, Scout.
Tyler Merrill, M.D., earned a Bachelor of Arts from Vanderbilt University and his medical degree from Ohio State University. Merrill is interested in ENT because of the diversity of the patient population and the variety of pathology. He is interested in biofilms of the middle ear. In his free time, he loves to golf, watch baseball and learn about wine.