SPRINGDALE - Arkansas Children's has selected Shannon Hendrix, MS, RD, LD as the next chief administrator of Arkansas Children's Northwest (ACNW), the region's only children's hospital.
A longtime pediatric healthcare leader with experience uniting multidisciplinary teams, Hendrix brings to the position a deep understanding of the special considerations required to run a children's hospital, as well as extensive knowledge of overall child health in Arkansas.
Hendrix will begin her role at ACNW on Dec. 14, 2020. Her promotion to lead the full-service hospital, which served more than 31,000 unique patients last fiscal year, is part of a thorough succession planning effort by Arkansas Children's leaders to ensure ACNW grows and evolves to match the diverse needs of the Northwest Arkansas community.
Hendrix's experience at Arkansas Children's has included leadership responsibilities with teams ranging from clinical operations, such as Radiology and Laboratory, to the social support services at the heart of delivering family-centered care, including Social Work and Pastoral Care. She has most recently served as vice president of clinical and diagnostic services for Arkansas Children's Hospital.
Hendrix steps into her ACNW role after leading large divisions comprised of several hundred Arkansas Children's team members since she joined the health system in 2013. She has most recently served as vice president of clinical and diagnostic services for Arkansas Children's Hospital. A registered dietitian, she holds bachelor's and master's degrees in Nutrition from the University of Central Arkansas. She sits on community boards and is active in her sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Hendrix is also a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and the Arkansas Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics.