BENTON, Ark. (April 28, 2025) – Saline Health System has appointed Jackie Wilkerson as chief nursing officer, effective April 21.

Wilkerson, a registered nurse, has almost 20 years of experience in healthcare leadership roles, including associate chief nursing officer at HCA Tristar Centennial Medical Center, associate administrator at Saline Health System and market chief nursing officer at Sovah Health. 

“We are so excited to have Jackie step into this important leadership role,” said CEO Char Boulch.  “She is an exemplary leader with a tremendous amount of both clinical experience and operational expertise. Her commitment to patient care, physicians, employees and the community is evident in all that she does, and I know that she will help us further advance our mission of making communities healthier.”

Wilkerson said she is happy to be back at Saline Health System, where she helped lead the hospital toward reaching several important milestones while serving as associate administrator and quality director from 2020 to 2023. For example, in 2021 the hospital earned its Joint Commission accreditation for the first time in 12 years and also earned its first A grade in patient safety from the Leapfrog Group.

As chief nursing officer, Wilkerson said her primary focus is going to be on nurse recruitment and retention. As a market chief nursing officer at Sovah Health, she established a nursing residency program with a recruitment average of 50% of local colleges with an 85% retention of new graduate nurses over a two-year period.

“Coming back home to work with the wonderful team at Saline is a huge blessing,” Wilkerson said. “I look forward to building on the strong foundation that already exists and helping the leadership team look for even more ways to improve the overall health and well-being of this community.”

Wilkerson holds a Master of Business Administration in Healthcare Management from Harding University in Searcy, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee, and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Education from Harding University.  

As a certified professional in patient safety (CPPS), she is deeply committed to ensuring the highest standards of patient safety and quality care. She is an active member of several professional organizations, including the American Organization of Nurse Executives, Arkansas Organization of Nurse Executives, Arkansas Nursing Association, American Nursing Association, and American College of Healthcare Executives.

“Jackie is a great fit for our hospital,” said Rhonda Sanders, chair of Saline Memorial Hospital’s board of trustees. “We have been so impressed with her experience and knowledge, as well as her genuine care for people. We are really looking forward to working with her to lead the hospital forward.”

About Saline Memorial Hospital

Saline Health System, a part of LifePoint Health, is made up of Saline Memorial Hospital, a 177-bed acute care facility, and Saline Clinics, a network of primary care and specialty clinics. The hospital is accredited through The Joint Commission for meeting quality and safety standards, the American College of Cardiology as a Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI, the MBSAQIP as a bariatric surgery center, Optum in the Bariatric Centers of Excellence network, CARF as a rehabilitation center and the AASM as a sleep center. Saline Memorial Hospital is also proud to be recognized as a Leapfrog Grade “A” Hospital for its commitment to patient safety and quality care. For more information about Saline Memorial Hospital, please call 501.776.6000 or visit SalineMemorial.org. For more information about LifePoint Health, visit LifePointHealth.net.