NEA Baptist’s Edens Honored

Melanie Edens, director of radiology at NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital, recently received the American College of Healthcare Executives Early Career Healthcare Executive (ACHE) Regent’s Award.

The award recognizes ACHE members who have made significant contributions to the advancement of health care management excellence and the achievement of ACHE’s goals. Members are evaluated on leadership ability, innovative and creative management, executive capability in developing their own organization and promoting its growth and stature in the community, and participation and interest in ACHE and its activities and objectives.

“It was my distinct privilege to nominate Melanie Edens for the Early Career Healthcare Executive Award,” Scott Childers, assistant administrator of NEA Baptist Memorial Hospital, said. “I have had the pleasure to work with Melanie for six years. Her abilities to lead are widely recognized and have resulted in outstanding accomplishments and continued growth in more progressing and challenging leadership responsibilities. She is an asset to NEA Baptist and the community of northeast Arkansas.”

Edens, who is a graduate of Arkansas State University, began her career at NEA Baptist as a CT technician in the radiology department and was quickly promoted to the position of director. Her accomplishments have been recognized within the hospital, throughout the Baptist Memorial Health Care system, and throughout the Jonesboro community.

Edens had an integral part in developing the radiology services for the new NEA Baptist medical campus.