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Department of Pediatrics: Pediatric Hospital Medicine Fellowship
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  1. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
  2. College of Medicine
  3. Department of Pediatrics
  4. Education and Training
  5. Fellowships
  6. Pediatric Hospital Medicine Fellowship
  7. Faculty, Fellows and Hospitalist Team

Faculty, Fellows and Hospitalist Team

Leadership In Its Natural State

We love working together as a team and sharing in the triumphs and trials we face as a team. From our incredible director to every fellow, resident and provider on our team, we know that getting to know each other only enhances our ability to understand and work together.

Take a moment to meet our team!

Fellowship Director

Rebecca Cantu, M.D.
Rebecca Cantu, M.D., MPH
Fellowship Program Director
Chief of Pediatric Hospital Medicine
Website: Clinical Bio
  • Hometown: Augusta, Ga.
  • Undergrad: University of Georgia, Biology
  • Medical School: Tulane
  • Residency: Tulane-Ochsner
  • Additional Training: P.H.M. fellowship at UAB, M.P.H. in Tropical Medicine at Tulane
  • Work Interests: Faculty development and data analytics
  • Work Roles: Acute Care Committee Chair, physician manager of ABP MOC Portfolio, a plateful of other projects
  • Non-work Interests: Knitting, cross-word puzzles, reading (I’m really not a grandmother, despite my hobbies)
  • Pets: Reggie Hobbes (a cat), Noodle (a leopard gecko), two human children
  • Fave: The parks, outdoor trails and the libraries

Faculty

Emily Barnes, M.D., Residency Program Associate Director
Emily Barnes, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Website: Clinical Bio
  • Hometown: Little Rock, Ark.
  • Undergrad: Ouachita Baptist University – Chemistry + Biology, psychology minor
  • Medical School: UAMS
  • Residency Program: UAMS
  • Additional training: PHM Board-certified
  • Work Interests: Bronchiolitis, BRUE, vaccines
  • Work Roles: Shared clinical time with general pediatrics. Co-Medical Director of 3K. Pediatric Residency Associate Program Director
  • Life: I love spending time with family and friends. I love live music and theater. I love puzzles, games, movies, hiking, singing, and flower arranging.
  • Pets: 2 rescue dogs, Remy and Tucker
  • Little Rock favorites: The restaurant scene is great. There are benefits of city life with the feel of a small town. You can get anywhere in 20 minutes which includes some amazing outdoor scenery and activities.
  • Misc: - I renovated a +100-year-old home in the Central High Historic District so now I can walk to work!
  • I can juggle.
  • I have a really good sense of direction.
  • Green is my favorite color.
Jacob F. Filipek, M.D.
Jacob F. Filipek, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Website: Clinical Bio
  • Hometown: Bismarck, Ark.
  • Undergrad: UCA, Pre-med Biology/Honors Sociology
  • Medical School: UAMS
  • Residency: UAMS/ACH
  • Work Interests: I love teaching students/residents and am in charge of acting intern lecturer on medically complex patients.
  • Work roles: Emergency Management Committee; 3K Co-Medical Director
  • Life: My wife, Victoria and son, Will.
  • Hobbies: I love fishing, hunting and the Arkansas Razorbacks.
  • Pets: A black lab named Pete.
  • Little Rock favorites: I love that it's a city but has a family-friendly atmosphere. I love all the outdoor activities and restaurant options.
Charalene R. Fisher, M.D.
Charalene R. Fisher, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Website: Clinical Bio
  • Hometown: Greenville, Tenn.
  • Undergrad: Baylor University, Religion/Chemistry
  • Medical School: UAB
  • Residency Program: UAMS
  • Work Interests: Leadership Development, Trauma, Feedback, and Surgical-Medical co-management
  • Work Roles: Trauma council, Feedback QI project leader, and PHM Outstanding Resident award program leader
  • Life: Hobbies – art, yoga, traveling, and piano. Family – beloved husband and son.
  • Little Rock favorites: I like Little Rock’s small-town feel with a bigger city’s medical and research power. I also like all of the river bridges here. The diversity in Little Rock is nice for a city of this size.
  • Misc: I have been to around 20 countries. My first passport photo was when I was 2 years old. I am an officer in Toastmasters International, a leadership and public speaking club.
Brittany L. Harris, M.D.
Brittney L. Harris, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Website: Clinical Bio
  • Hometown: Wynne, Ark.
  • Medical School: UAMS
  • Residency Program: UAMS
  • Work Roles: Escalation of Care, Infection Prevention, and Adverse Drug Event Committees
  • Life: I enjoy traveling, cooking, and spending time with my family
Bonnie E. Kitchen
APRN
  • Hometown: Garden Grove, Calif.
  • Education: UAMS – Masters of Science in Nursing
  • Work Interests: Mentoring and teaching
  • Work roles: I'm an APRN on one of the inpatient teams. I also serve on the APRN council, medical informatics committee, med safety council, and inpatient antibiotic stewardship committee. DOP faculty council. I am an editor of our ACH Advanced Practice Provider newsletter.
  • Hobbies: Travel, photography, creating junk journals, cross-stitch, reading, cooking, hiking.
  • Pets: Molly - my Saint Bernard
  • Little Rock favorites: Great central location to explore the state from. Friendly atmosphere. The Rivermarket. Good food!
  • Fun Facts: I went on a safari alone! I have 3 children and 1 grandson. I once delivered a package to Tom Selleck. I love to explore National Parks. I have scuba diving experience.
Rebecca L. Latch, M.D.
Rebecca Latch, M.D.
Vice Chair of Education, Residency and Students
Associate Professor, Hospital Medicine
Website: Clinical Bio
  • Hometown: Bismarck, Ark.
  • Undergrad: Hendrix
  • Medical School: UAMS
  • Residency: UAMS
  • Work Interests: Promoting compassionate family-centered care; championing diversity, equity, and inclusion; building evidence-based practice within the section and the department
  • Work roles: Vice-Chair of Education, Grand Rounds facilitator, physician leader for Schwartz Rounds
  • Life: Loves outdoor activities like hiking, swimming, fishing – or reading a book while her husband and sons catch the fish!
  • Pets: Smokey the dog
  • Miscellaneous: She and her family are working on their goal of visiting all 52 Arkansas State parks.
Steven G. McKee, M.D.
Steven G. McKee, M.D., FAAP
Assistant Professor
Website: Clinical Bio
  • Hometown: Little Rock, Ark.
  • Undergrad: University of Arkansas, Biology with Math minor
  • Medical School: UAMS
  • Residency Program: Penn/CHOP
  • Additional Training: SGIM TEACH
  • Work Interests: Resident as Teacher, Ultrasound
  • Work Roles: APD for Medpeds program
  • Life: Water sports
  • Pets: Roscoe – greyhound/golden mix, allegedly
  • Little Rock favorites: quick access to hiking, biking, fishing, and water of all sorts.
Kristin Mitchell, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Website: Clinical Bio
  • Hometown: North Little Rock, Ark.
  • Undergrad: University of Arkansas, Biology
  • Medical School: UAMS
  • Residency Program: UAMS
  • Work Interests: I simply enjoy patient care and working with learners, residents and medical students.
  • Life: I love spending time with my husband and four daughters. We enjoy family walks and other outdoor adventures. We also love a good movie and pizza night.
  • Pets: Black Lab – Sandy. Two kittens – French Fry and Moonlight
  • Little Rock favorites: River trail, great restaurants, close to hiking, fishing, boating, and outdoorsy things, availability of arts like orchestra and plays.
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Randa Othman, M.D., MBBS
Assistant Professor
Website: Clinical Bio
  • Hometown: Jordan
  • Medical School: University of Jordan
  • Residency Program: Miami Children’s Hospital
  • Work Roles: Infection Prevention and Control Committee
  • Little Rock favorites: The greenery and kind people.
Sara Camp Sanders, M.D.
Sara C. Sanders, M.D.
Assistant Professor
Website: Clinical Bio
  • Hometown: Pocahontas, Ark.
  • Medical School: UAMS
  • Residency: UAMS
  • Work Interests: research, hospital flow, process improvement
  • Work roles: Social media chair for our section.
  • Life: I have three adorable children, including the newest member born in February.
  • Pets: Three dogs
Brittany M. Slagle, D.O.
Assistant Professor
Website: Clinical Bio
  • Hometown: Memphis, Tenn.
  • Undergrad: University of Tennessee, Biochem & Cell and Molecular Bio, psych minor
  • Medical School: Nova Southeastern University School of Osteopathic Medicine
  • Residency: University of Kansas, Kansas City
  • Work Interests: Quality Improvement, Sepsis, Pathways, Resident and Student Education
  • Work Roles: Medical Informatics Subspecialty Leader, Improving Pediatric Sepsis Outcomes Physician Champion, ABP MOC part 2 Reviewer, Admissions Workflow Quality Improvement Committee, Somatoform Disorders Pathway co-lead, Hospitalist Elective Co-lead
  • Life: Spending time with my husband, 2 kids, and our dog. I love to hike, work out, eat good food, and travel.
  • Pets: 1 dog, Macy!
  • Little Rock favorites: There are so many outdoor activities and it’s a city with a small-town feel!
  • Misc: I grew up dancing (tap, ballet, jazz) and still love to dance even though it embarrasses my kids! I love food and am also very into food as medicine and disease prevention. I love good coffee and order beans from all over the country.
Maxwell D. Taylor, M.D.
Maxwell Taylor, M.D.
Website: Clinical Bio
  • Hometown: Shreveport, La.
  • Undergrad: Public Health
  • Medical School: Emory
  • Residency: UAMS
  • Work Interests: Medical student & resident education
  • Nonwork Interests: Traveling with my wife Mary, live music and theater, live trivia.
  • Fave: Arkansas River Trail; dining at 42 Bar and Table in the Clinton Presidential Center.
  • Misc: Spent a college summer break working as an extra on a few movie productions.
Melissa A. Wood-Katz, M.D.
Melissa A. Wood-Katz
Associate Professor
Website: Clinical Bio
  • Hometown: North Little Rock, Ark.
  • Undergrad: Univ of Arkansas, Chemical Engineering
  • Medical School: UAMS
  • Residency Program: UAMS
  • Life: I have a husband and two kids. While driving my kids around is my biggest pastime, I love to cook, entertain, garden, and work out.
  • Pets: I have a three-year-old Australian Shephard, Gus.
  • Little Rock favorites: I love the Little Rock skyline, yummy restaurants, river views and lots of outdoor activities.
  • Misc: I was invited on stage at a Jimmy Buffet concert when I was in high school.

Fellows

Cindy Nguyen
Fellow Physician
  • Hometown: Plano, Texas
  • Undergrad: The University of Texas at Dallas - Biochemistry
  • Medical School: University of Texas Medical Branch
  • Residency: UAMS
  • Work Interests: Patient experience, including improving communication among team members, patients, and their families. Medical education.
  • Hobbies: Board games, puzzles, arts and crafts. Baking, cooking, eating. Hiking.
  • Little Rock favorites: Lack of heavy traffic, good food, and lots of hiking opportunities nearby.
  • Fun Facts: I was on the varsity bowling team in high school. I played a lot of competitive flag football throughout college. I was once part of a winning hip-hop dance team.

Our Hospitalist Teams

The Pediatric Hospital Medicine (PHM) section consists of four teams and has an in-house attending 24/7. Our services discharge about 5,000-6,000 patients annually, typically accounting for about 1/3 of all discharges at ACH.

We have three teaching teams comprised of a senior pediatrics or medicine-pediatrics resident, two to three interns, sometimes an acting intern, and medical students, and an attending hospitalist. In addition, our teams include pediatric pharmacists, social workers, dieticians, and case managers. We have one hospitalist-only direct care team covered by two to five hospitalists depending on the time of year and census; this team also provides consults upon request for other services such as PM&R, burn surgery, and other surgical specialties, and provides telephone consultation for and accepts direct admissions from providers throughout the region.

Our hospital endorses family-centered rounding and has active quality improvement projects focused on improving nursing presence on rounds, multidisciplinary team communication, and the use of tools like in-room dry-erase boards to improve team and family communication.

We see patients in our Intermediate Care Unit (IMU) and in medical-surgical units throughout the hospital. The IMU functions as a step-down/step-up unit with continuous cardiorespiratory monitoring and telemetry and smaller nurse-to-patient ratios; it’s also right next to our PICU.

UAMS College of Medicine LogoUAMS College of MedicineUniversity of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Mailing Address: 4301 West Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72205
Phone: (501) 686-7000
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