Arkansas Children’s Celebrates Honorees at Fall Investiture

LITTLE ROCK, AR. (Oct. 3, 2024) – Arkansas Children’s celebrated the investiture of three physicians in a ceremony at CALS Ron Robinson Theater on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024.

The honorees included Maya Liza C. Lopez, M.D., as recipient and steward of the Harvey and Bernice Jones Endowed Chair in Developmental Pediatrics; Ron Sanders Jr., M.D., M.S., as recipient and steward of the Morris and Hettie Oakley Endowed Chair in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine; and David Spiro, M.D., M.P.H., as recipient and steward of the Log A Load For Kids of Arkansas Endowed Chair in Pediatric Emergency Medicine/Trauma.

“Arkansas Children's is committed to fostering an environment of excellence, and these physicians — through their research, dedication and hard work — reflect a profound commitment to advancing pediatric health and ensuring the children of Arkansas and the region receive the highest level of care,” said Marcy Doderer, FACHE, president and CEO of Arkansas Children’s.

An endowed chair is one of the highest academic honors for the holder and assists Arkansas Children’s, in partnership with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, in attracting and retaining strong clinicians, scientists and other caregivers who are leaders in their field of pediatric health care.

Lopez, who serves as section chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics, sees patients at the James L. Dennis Developmental Center. As part of the Arkansas Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring program, Lopez has secured more than $6.4 million in federal grants focused on public health surveillance of children with autism spectrum disorders and/or intellectual disabilities.

Sanders, who is section chief of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, has served patients and families at Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) since 2008. He has dedicated his career to the safe management of pediatric airways. Sanders’ academic work also includes respiratory failure and life-threatening influenza in children. He serves as the site investigator at ACH, evaluating new therapies for pediatric septic shock.

Spiro, chief of pediatric emergency medicine at ACH, has a strong commitment to mentoring the next generation of medical professionals. He is an accomplished researcher, who has served as a principal investigator and co-investigator on numerous funded projects, which span various topics, such as COVID-19 prevalence, appendicitis markers and asthma severity.

ABOUT ARKANSAS CHILDREN'S

Arkansas Children's is the only health care system in the state solely dedicated to caring for Arkansas' more than 700,000 children. The private, non-profit organization includes two pediatric hospitals, a pediatric research institute and USDA nutrition center, a philanthropic foundation, a nursery alliance, statewide clinics, and many education and outreach programs — all focused on fulfilling a promise to define and deliver unprecedented child health. Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) is a 336-bed, Magnet-recognized facility in Little Rock operating the state’s only Level I pediatric trauma center; the state's only burn center; the state's only Level IV neonatal intensive care unit; the state's only pediatric intensive care unit; the state’s only pediatric surgery program with Level 1 verification from the American College of Surgeons (ACS); and the state's only nationally recognized pediatric transport program. Arkansas Children’s is nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report in seven pediatric subspecialties (2023—2024): Cancer, Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Diabetes & Endocrinology, Nephrology, Orthopedics, Pulmonology & Lung Surgery and Urology. Arkansas Children’s Northwest (ACNW), the first and only pediatric hospital in the northwest Arkansas region, is a level IV pediatric trauma center. ACNW operates a 24-bed inpatient unit; a surgical unit with five operating rooms; outpatient clinics offering over 20 subspecialties; diagnostic services; imaging capabilities; occupational therapy services; and northwest Arkansas' only pediatric emergency department, equipped with 30 exam rooms. Generous philanthropic and volunteer engagement has sustained Arkansas Children's since it began as an orphanage in 1912, and today ensures the system can deliver on its promise of unprecedented child health. To learn more, visit archildrens.org.

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