AMHC Commissioners
Christine Patterson, MSW, LCSW
Chair
Redfield, AR
Ms. Patterson is the former Director of the Office of Minority Health & Health Disparities at the Arkansas Department of Health. She retired June 30, 2010. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Jackson State University and a Masters in Social Work from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Some of her professional memberships include the Academy of Certified Social Workers, the National Association of Black Social Workers and the National Association of Social Workers.
Linda McGhee, MD
Vice Chair
Prairie Grove, AR
Dr. McGhee maintains a clinical practice at the AHEC Northwest Family Medical Center in Fayetteville, and her hospital affiliations include Fayetteville City Hospital, Washington Regional Medical Center and Northwest Medical Center-Springdale.
She has developed a keen interest in the treatment of HIV/AIDS patients and serves on several county and statewide boards related to this concern. Since 1992 she has been the Medical Director of the Washington County HIV Clinic, the first county HIV clinic in the State of Arkansas.
Carolyn Mosley, PhD, RN, CS, FAAN
Secretary
Fort Smith, AR
Dr. Mosley is currently a professor and Dean of the College of Health Sciences at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith. She is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing and is a Fellow in the Academy of Nursing Education.
Dr. Mosley has also been inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Louisiana State Nurses Association; serves as a Human Rights Expert to the International Council of Nursing; is recognized as one of the top 100 distinguished alumni of Texas Women’s University and has written more than 200 articles for a weekly health column in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Raul Blasini, Sgt.
Pocahontas, AR
Mr. Blasini is a retired U.S. Army Sergeant, served as both a prostate cancer and mentor consumer reviewer for the Department of Defense Medical Research Program in Washington. He attended the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez where he majored in chemical engineering.
He has helped organize clinics in Walnut Ridge, Jonesboro, Corning, Newport, Blytheville, Batesville, Osceola, Wynne, Piggott, Hope, DeQueen and Texarkana. In 2005, Blasini began a prostate cancer support group in Jonesboro and an annual health fair for residents in northeast Arkansas that includes free mammograms and medical tests. He has served on the board of directors for the Arkansas Prostate Cancer Foundation (APCF).
Vanessa E. Davis, MS
Little Rock, AR
Ms. Davis is Assistant Director of the Division of Behavioral Health Services for Minority Affairs and Cultural Diversity. She received a Bachelor of Science in Counseling and Guidance along with a Bachelor of Science in Music Education. Davis received a Master of Science in Counseling and Guidance. Currently she is a member of the Governor’s Trauma Advisory Council.
Francis Roosevelt Gilliam, III, MD
Jonesboro, AR
Dr. Gilliam currently works at the Cardiology Associates of Northeast Arkansas He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry/Biochemistry from the University of Georgia and his medical degree from Duke University. He is the St. Bernard's Medical Center Medical Director of Electrophysiology and serves on the St. Bernard’s Medical Center Heart Care Committee.
Sandra Kennedy-Mitchell
Osceola, AR
Mrs. Mitchell is an office manager at Joe Harris, Jr. Trucking Inc. She has been with the company for 20 years. In addition she is employed at Pineyridge Mental Health Facility as a medical health technician.
She received a bachelor's degree in Human Resource Development from the University of Arkansas. She has been named one of the 2011 Outstanding Students of the Year. Mitchell is the executive director and a co-founder of the Osceola Shalom Community (a volunteer position), where she assists with helping the underprivileged in the community.
Willie McGhee
El Dorado, AR
McGhee is currently the executive director of Generation of Faith, a non-profit organization that focuses on empowering youth. He also serves on the El Dorado City Council. He has worked as a Junction City police officer, Union County deputy sheriff, mental health tech with adolescents and a case manager for the South Arkansas Regional Health. He has received several honors his latest award being in 2011 when he received the Arkansas Democratic Black Caucus Annie Abrams Community Award.
Carmen Paniagua, EdD, RN, MSN, CPC, APN, ACNP-BC, APNG, FAANP
Little Rock, AR
Dr. Paniagua is an Adult Acute Care Nurse Practitioner that maintains clinical practice, with the College of Medicine Emergency Department at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. She also practice chronic pain management in a private clinic and the Westside Charity Hispanic Clinic in Little Rock
In addition, she completed a Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Molecular Genetics at the National Health of Institutes in Bethesda, MD and a Post-Doctoral Traineeship in Interventional Pain Management in Puerto Rico. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and the only Board Certify Advance Practice Nurse in Genetics in the state. She serves as a member of the Arkansas Governor Hispanic Advisory Committee.
Martha M. Phillips, Ed. S, MBA, PhD
Little Rock, AR
Dr. Phillips is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry in the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Medicine and in the Department of Epidemiology in the UAMS Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health.
Phillips has advanced degrees in education (Ed.S in special education and certificate in administration), public health (MPH in Healthcare Organization and Policy; PhD in Epidemiology) and business administration (MBA). Her primary interest is in addressing childhood obesity by working with schools and families to improve nutrition and physical activity policies, practices, programs, and behaviors.
Willa Black Sanders, MPA
Maumelle, AR
Mrs. Sanders is an Assistant Dean for Governmental Relations & Special Projects at the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health (COPH), University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, Arkansas. She has been with the COPH since 2001.
She obtained a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Sanders is the immediate past president of Arkansas Advocates for Children & Youth and presently serves on the Executive Committee of that Board. She is also a commissioner of the Racial and cultural Diversity Commission for the City of Little Rock.
Staff
Idonia L. Trotter, JD, MPS., Executive Director
Dr. Trotter is an experienced manager and brings a strong programmatic, community advocacy and development background to the Commission. She served as office manager, district field representative, and minority liaison for the U.S. House of Representatives 4th District of Arkansas from 1993 to 2001.
From 2001 through 2007 she worked as a community organizer and grassroots specialist consultant for the Coalition for a Tobacco Free Arkansas where she was instrumental in educating city councils, legislators and citizens about the dangers of secondhand smoke.
In 2004, she graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock with a bachelor of arts in criminal justice. She was accepted into the law program at the UALR William H. Bowen School of Law in the Fall of 2004 where she served as Student Bar Association Vice President, Secretary of the Black Law Students Association, and the American Bar Association Law Student Division's 10th Circuit Lt. Governor for Membership.
Trotter was the first student in the world to complete a concurrent Master's of Public Service and Juris Doctorate of Law degree program when she graduated from both the UA Clinton School of Public Service and the William H. Bowen School of Law at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in May 2009.
In June 2009, she was named executive director of the Arkansas Minority Health Commission. Under her leadership there has been an increased awareness in HIV/AIDS and sickle cell disease throughout Arkansas. She has put public policy towards equitable health care for all Arkansans at the forefront of her agenda. In keeping with this agenda, Dr. Trotter is also the facilitator of the Arkansas Minority Health Consortium. The Consortium is a collaboration of approximately 30 entities united to increase awareness of minority health and community issues that impact minority health.
In the 2011 Arkansas legislative session, under Dr. Trotter’s leadership, the Commission and Consortium played pivotal roles in ensuring the passage of several important pieces of legislation aimed at improving the health of minority children, sickle cell and HIV/AIDS consumers, among others. The Commission and Consortium was also instrumental in thwarting the passage of legislation that would have had a negative impact on minority health.
Dr. Trotter currently sits on the Arkansas Minority HIV/AIDS Taskforce, the Arkansas Legislative Taskforce on Sickle Cell Disease and the Health Technology Consumer Advisory Committee.
Heather Dunlap, Executive Assistant to the Director/Human Resource Manager
Heather came to AMHC in June 2010. Her position maintains the Executive Director’s calendar and serves as the liaison to the Board of Commissioners. Heather oversees all human resource needs for the agency. Heather’s studies are in Healthcare and Business.
Britni Mitchell, HIV Project Manager
Britni Mitchell joined the AMHC staff as HIV Project Manager in November 2011. She has a Masters in Public Health from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health and a Bachelor of Science in Health Education from the University of Central Arkansas. She also is a Certified Health Education Specialist. She is responsible for providing administrative assistance to the Arkansas Minority Health Task Force, overseeing Minority Health Month and HIV Outreach Initiative grants, implementing HIV prevention activities on national awareness days, as well as community outreach related to HIV.
Louise Scott, LSW, Senior Grants Manager
Louise joined the Arkansas Minority Health Commission in 2011 as Senior Grants Manager. A licensed social worker with over 25 years experience, Scott has worked in both the public and private sectors. She has developed and implemented state and federal government policies, managed nonprofit initiatives and supported health programs and outreach efforts in the faith community. Scott oversees partnerships, grants and sponsorships initiatives as well as provides technical assistance to project managers.