The Medical Center of South Arkansas introduced its new chief executive officer to members of El Dorado’s Rotary Club on Monday.
Scott Street took up his duties for the first time Monday, after former CEO Robert Rupp resigned effective Oct. 17 to work at Integris Grove Hospital in Grove, Oklahoma. Street has held administrative roles at hospitals in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas, most recently serving as CEO of Nacogdoches Memorial Health in Nacogdoches, Texas.
With it being his first day on the job, Street declined to say much Monday, instead focusing on the overview of the center’s operations with department directors taking the lead.
Amy Triplet, chief nursing officer of MCSA discussed how important it is for the El Dorado community to know their nursing leaders. Nurses make up the majority of the workforce at the Medical Center of South Arkansas, with more than 250 active registered nurses.
“It’s a privilege to be able to care for people when it’s the most trying times of their lives,” Triplet said. “It’s very important to me to make sure we have safe, compassionate, quality health care. That’s what were striving to do every single day.”
Sonya Justice, director of the emergency department, said her staff sees more than 20,000 patients per year, noting the center offers general surgery, on call and orthopedics, making it a level three trauma center.
Anglea Smith, director of the medical-surgery unit, said to work in her department, nurses must have multiple certifications, including in advanced life support, noting that “most of our nurses have been there for a very long time and if I added all of their years of experience, it would total 152 years.”
Medical center staff also went through details of inpatient rehabilitiation, one day surgery, case management, catheterization lab, women’s services and intensive care.
Kaitlyn Rigdon can be reached at 870-862-6611 or [email protected].