Washington Regional Foundation announces 2006 Eagle Award winners
Posted on Sunday, March 19, 2006
The late dean of the University of Arkansas School of Law, the longtime athletic director of the university and a 20-year-old organization providing radiation therapy services in Northwest Arkansas will be honored April 4 at the Washington Regional Foundation’s Gala 2006. "An Evening with the Pointer Sisters"is planned at the Walton Arts Center. The Eagle Award, which recognizes outstanding health leadership in Northwest Arkansas, will this year go to Richard Atkinson, a longtime faculty member at the school of law who became its dean in 2002; Frank Broyles, whose career at the UA has spanned 49 years but who lately has become as well known as an advocate for those affected by Alzheimer’s disease; and to NARTI, a nonprofit, community-owned, freestanding provider of radiation therapy services. Below are biographies of the award-winners Richard Atkinson Throughout three decades of service to Northwest Arkansas, Atkinson was an advocate for the growth and development of Washington Regional Medical Center, the University of Arkansas and the Northwest Arkansas community. His was a member of the hospital’s board of directors.
Atkinson moved to Fayetteville in the mid-1970s upon being recruited to the University of Arkansas School of Law by then-law professor and later President Bill Clinton, a former law school classmate of Atkinson. Atkinson became the law school’s dean in 2002 Atkinson joined the Washington Regional Medical Center board in 1980 and served admirably for the next 25 years. Former hospital board member Curtis Shipley remembers his friend and colleague as a compassionate and caring man. "Dick was a wonderful person who was always very, very sensitive to those less fortunate than he. He was incredibly proud of our new hospital and of Washington Regional’s mission,"Shipley said. Throughout his tenure on the hospital board, Atkinson served the board in a variety of capacities including three terms as board chairman. Atkinson was a founding member of the board of directors for Washington Regional Foundation when it was established in 1988. Atkinson was also a founding board member of the Northwest Arkansas Radiation Therapy Institute. He most recently served as a founding board member of the newly established Fayetteville Community Foundation and as a member of the Washington Regional Hospice board of directors. Atkinson’s love of art led him to serve a two-year term as chairman of the Art Selection Committee for the new medical center. Under his guidance, the new hospital acquired a collection of original works by Northwest Arkansas artists placed throughout the public areas of the building. In addition, Richard and his life partner, Dr. Michael Hollomon, donated several key pieces of art. "In my time here … I saw nothing of Richard but the very best qualities which I hope we all aspire to possess — compassion, professionalism, good cheer, humor, dedication, joy, hope, optimism,"said Carol Goforth, associate dean of academic affairs at the law school.
Frank Broyles Broyles has been a winner on the field and off the field for most of his 81 years; beating prostate cancer, seeing his best friend and wife through a mind-robbing illness called Alzheimer’s and even a novelty feat like the 1974 win over Southern Cal in Little Rock For nearly five decades, Broyles has helped define the standard of excellence in intercollegiate athletics. A legendary and nationally respected athletic administrator and the goodwill ambassador for his university and state, Broyles’ influence continues to shape the Razorback program. Entering his 49 th year with university and his 33 rd as athletic director, Broyles is synonymous with the athletic program.
Broyles is a strong advocate and spokesman of the Alzheimer’s Association and he was recently chosen as one of 15 delegates representing the state of Arkansas at the White House Conference on Aging. He attended specifically to represent "the caregiver."
The fight against Alzheimer’s Disease is an intensely personal one for Broyles. In the fall of 2004, Broyles and his family lost his wife, Barbara Broyles. "He and his family have given a recognizable face to the many families whose lives are turned upside down by this disease,"said Bev Lewis, director of UA Women’s Athletics. "By discussing their experiences as caregivers to their beloved Barbara, the Broyles family has not only honored her life and giving spirit; they have been the voice of every caregiver. This family has accepted this very public responsibility with the same grace for which Barbara was known."
Other health organizations that have benefited from Broyles’ involvement include the American Heart Association, the American Cancer Society, the American Diabetes Association of Arkansas, Arkansas Breast Cancer Awareness, the United Way, Arkansas Prostate Cancer Awareness, NARTI, Washington Regional’s Walker Family Heart and Vascular Institute, Washington Regional Hospice, Faith in Action and many, many more.
NARTI The Northwest Arkansas Radiation Therapy Institute is celebrating 20 years of outstanding healthcare service. The mission and values of NARTI are based on providing quality cancer care and information to each person served, regardless of the patient’s financial circumstances. As an organization, NARTI continues to support this mission by providing state-of-art-technology in its cancer care treatments, to have facilities that are convenient and patient-friendly, and to deliver cancer treatment in a compassionate manner by a highly-trained cancer care team. In 2004 NARTI upgraded its North Hills facility, an investment of $2.5 million in equipment and construction funded through operations, as further evidence of its commitment to providing quality cancer care. The vision of NARTI became a reality through the collaboration of all the hospitals in our region at that time. Visionaries such as Hugh Means, Dick Trammel, and Lewis Epley, all former Eagle Award recipients, served on the original board of directors, as did Richard Atkinson and Barbara Broyles, as well as many other community leaders in Northwest Arkansas.
Each of the radiation oncologists — physicians skilled in the specialty of treating cancer with radiation – is board certified by the American College of Radiology. They work closely with other community physicians to manage each patient’s treatment. NARTI employs board certified medical physicists, dosimetrists and radiation therapists in order to deliver care that meets these high standards.
Three high-technology facilities house sophisticated planning and treatment equipment specifically designed to locate and destroy cancerous tissue: two state-of-the-art linear accelerators, a high dose rate brachytherapy unit, and a three-dimensional treatment planning system that enables the delivery of Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy treatments. NARTI was the first facility in the state of Arkansas to provide MammoSite Radiation Therapy for breast cancer patients, a highly desirable alternative to conventional therapy.
NARTI provides screening and education programs to increase awareness of high-risk behaviors, early warning signs, symptoms, and available treatments.
The Northwest Arkansas Cancer Registry is also a service of NARTI. The Cancer Registry is a data system designed to collect, manage and analyze health information from patients who have been diagnosed and treated for cancer whether they are a NARTI patient or not. The Northwest Arkansas Cancer Registry has been collecting cancer information since 1986 for all eight area hospitals and started collecting information from clinics and physician offices in 2001.
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