Dr. Steve Schexnayder, Professor and Chief of the Critical Care Medicine Section in the Department of Pediatrics, will begin serving as Interim Chair on July 1, 2017 following the retirement of Dr. Richard Jacobs.
Dr. Schexnayder brings a tremendous level of experience, institutional memory and continuity to his new role with his leadership of the Critical Care Medicine Section for the past 14 years, six years of service as Vice Chair for Education in the department and service as Chief of the Arkansas Children’s Hospital medical staff since 2015.
Dr. Schexnayder has been active in education throughout his time on the faculty. He directed the Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Fellowship in 2003-2007 and continued to serve as Associate Fellowship Director for the next five years. Earlier posts included Associate Director of the Pediatrics/Internal Medicine Residency and Associate Director of the Pediatrics Residency. He was named Vice Chair for Education in 2011.
He has received numerous education awards, including the Chancellor’s Teaching Award in 2011, numerous Red Sashes from senior medical students and three Department of Pediatrics Educator of the Year awards, earning him Educator Emeritus status. Other honors include his 2010 investiture as the Mr. and Mrs. Morris Oakley Endowed Chair in Critical Care Medicine at ACH. He previously held the Betty Lowe Distinguished Chair in Pediatric Education for six years.
Dr. Schexnayder is an internationally recognized expert in pediatric resuscitation. He is a past Chair of the American Heart Association’s Pediatric Life Support Committee and this year was named one of only four U.S. representatives on the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation Pediatric Task Force, which develops guidelines used throughout the world.
The nationwide search for Dr. Jacobs’ permanent successor has yielded an outstanding pool of applicants and finalists. We anticipate having a new Chair named this summer.