Leadership at Arkansas Children's Northwest

Shannon Hendrix, Senior Vice President and Administrator

Shannon Hendrix, MS, RD, LD, serves as senior vice president and administrator for Arkansas Children’s Northwest. Hendrix has 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. Her experience at Arkansas Children’s includes 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 previously 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. 

Dr. Robert Williams, Chief Medical Officer

Robert S. Williams, M.D., FAAP, serves as chief medical officer (CMO) for Arkansas Children’s Northwest. Previously, Williams served as an assistant professor of pediatrics for the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. He worked closely with electronic medical record systems as the information technology medical director at the Children’s Hospital at OU Medicine before being named the medical director for pediatric emergency medicine.

Williams earned his undergraduate degree in English from the University of California and received his medical degree from St. George's University. He completed both his pediatric residency and fellowship in pediatric emergency medicine at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) and Arkansas Children's Hospital.

Michael Howard, Chief Nursing Officer

Michael Howard, DNP, RN, NE-BC, serves as chief nursing officer (CNO) for Arkansas Children’s Northwest. He is responsible for planning, organizing and directing the overall operations of nursing/patient care services at ACNW.

Howard came to ACNW from the Children's Hospital of San Antonio, where he served as the director of pediatric emergency services. For more than nine years he led the emergency services team and facilities, which includes two emergency departments, an urgent care center, a center for abused children and a staff of 120 personnel.

Howard earned a bachelor's degree in nursing from Waynesburg College in 1996. He went on to complete a master's degree in management, a master's degree in health administration and a master's degree in nursing from the University of Phoenix.