Leadership
President and Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Brian Bell joined Arkansas Hospice in 2016 as Vice President and Chief Medical Officer and was named President and Chief Executive Officer in 2025. He is board certified both in family medicine and hospice and palliative medicine, and he is one of only a few Fellows in the Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine in the state. Dr. Bell has been working in hospice care since 2006 and is currently on the faculty at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences where he teaches hospice and palliative medicine fellows. Currently, he serves on the Professional Education Committee of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, which is now part of the National Alliance for Care at Home. Over the years, he has given multiple lectures to UAMS case management students to better educate them on hospice and palliative care. Dr. Bell has served on the Arkansas Physicians Orders for Life Sustaining Treatments (POLST) Taskforce since 2017 and worked with the legislature and others in its passage. Previously, he was on faculty at two medical schools in South Carolina and started the first hospice and palliative medicine fellowship in that state in 2014.
Senior Advisor
Judith S. Wooten, MHA, FACHE, joined the Arkansas Hospice team as vice president and chief operating officer in 2002. She was named president and chief executive officer in 2011. After retiring as CEO in March 2025, she continues to serve as a senior advisor. Her healthcare career began as a patient representative in a large, tertiary care, teaching hospital in 1980, where she “fell in love with healthcare.” Judy earned a Master of Health Administration from Washington University School of Medicine in 1985. Since then, she has been a hospital administrator, a managed care executive, and a management and healthcare consultant. Judy is a Fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and a Certified Hospice Administrator. She is the past president of the Hospice and Palliative Care Association of Arkansas, and she served on the board of directors of the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization, which is now part of the National Alliance for Care at Home. In recognition of her healthcare leadership and service, Judy was named the 2020 recipient of the ACHE Regent’s Award for Senior Level Healthcare Executive.
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Katherine T. Jones joined Arkansas Hospice in 2007 as Director of Finance and was promoted to Chief Financial Officer in 2009. She has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Central Arkansas and an extensive background of more than 20 years in healthcare finance, billing, and related regulatory affairs. As an industry advocate, she has served on the board of the Hospice and Palliative Care Association of Arkansas for more than six years. Her expertise in this role has been vital in representing hospice and palliative care financial interests and supporting the hospice industry in regulatory and legislative matters. Kathy has worked extensively with Arkansas Medicaid on changes and issues that impact all hospice providers in the state. In 2013, she was named Nonprofit CFO of the Year by Arkansas Business. Currently, Kathy oversees Arkansas Hospice’s Health Information Management, Information Technology, Billing, Finance, and Materials Management departments.
Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer
Anita Deal joined Arkansas Hospice in 2009 and was promoted to Vice President & Chief Clinical Officer in 2021. She graduated from Baptist School of Nursing in 1991 with highest honors. An accomplished nursing professional in both clinical and administrative roles, Anita has more than 30 years of nursing experience with 28 years focused on hospice and palliative care. She has 25 years of experience in supervision of hospice nursing, social work, and chaplain staff in both the home and inpatient settings. Anita oversees clinical education and mentoring, quality improvement, EMR software support, and clinical practice throughout the organization.
Vice President and Chief Philanthropy Officer
Kimberlee Shaffer Kirkman, Ed.D, joined Arkansas Hospice in September 2022 as Vice President and Chief Philanthropy Officer. Kirkman assumed the role after more than a decade of service in higher education at Taylor University and Harding University. Her tenure at Taylor coincided with a record year of fundraising. Before her time at Taylor, Kirkman was the executive director of the American Studies Institute at Harding University. She developed student leadership programs, hosted nationally recognized speakers in the lecture series, established program endowments, and solicited support in alignment with the university’s mission and program for record fundraising at ASI.
Kirkman earned her Ed.D from Harding University and is the author of scholarly research on mentoring.
Vice President of Business Development
Jim Holloway joined Arkansas Hospice in March 2022 as Director of Market Development. In 2023, he was promoted to Vice President of Business Development. Jim has more than 25 years of healthcare experience with 15 years working in the field of hospice and palliative care. His previous workplaces include Johnson & Johnson and Apria Healthcare. Jim’s areas of expertise include sales training, employee growth and development, and creating and executing growth strategies and tactics.
Jim holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Texas Wesleyan University.
Medical Director Hospice Services
Dr. Wyatt joined Arkansas Hospice in December 2006. He has served as vice president and chief medical officer and he was instrumental in the 2015 launch of Arkansas Palliative Care. Wyatt served as Associate Medical Director from July 2020 to November 2024 when he was named Medical Director, Hospice Services. Wyatt graduated as a doctor of osteopathic medicine at the Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine. In February 2025, heearned the designation Fellow of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine (FAAHPM). He is the lead physician for Arkansas Hospice’s inpatient palliative care consult service at Unity Health in Searcy and is an adjunct teaching physician for the hospital’s five Graduate Medical Education programs.
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