Leadership

IRH Management Team:

Marion A. “Tony” Thompson – Administrator

Tony Thompson is board certified by the American College of Healthcare Executives and has over 40 years of healthcare experience in a variety of settings. Mr. Thompson’s expertise includes management services with a nationwide company, ServiceMaster. For more than 30 years, Tony has worked in rural healthcare, with specific experience in critical access hospitals in both permanent and interim chief executive officer roles.

Tony has been active in civic organizations throughout his career, serving in leadership roles in Kiwanis, Rotary and Old Independence County Regional Museum. Tony also volunteers his time mentoring young administrators through the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). He has also served as President of the state chapter of ACHE in Kansas.

Tony and his wife, Carolyn, make their home in Batesville, Arkansas, where he was born, raised, and graduated from Batesville High School. Tony went on to earn a BS from the University of Central Arkansas and an MSHA from the University of Mississippi.  Tony and Carolyn have one child, Amy Bullard (Bryson), and grandchildren Harper (7) and Lincoln (3).

Dana Hicks, RN, CNO

Dana Hicks is the Chief Nursing Officer at Izard Regional Hospital (formerly Izard County Medical Center). She began this position in 2011. During her time at this facility, she has worn many hats. Currently she oversees all of the nursing departments including Acute Care /Swing Bed and the Emergency Department. She serves as the Case Manager/Utilization Review Coordinator, Disaster Director, and the UAMS Stroke Coordinator. Dana is also responsible for making sure that HCAAPS are completed and that all state reports are in compliance.

Dana received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Tennessee Medical Center in 1987. Her credentials include ACLS, PALS, ASLS, TNCC, and BLS. As a seasoned nurse, she has a well-rounded background with a wide range of work experience in the medical field. She began working as a Nursing Assistant while in high school and has worked in the medical field ever since. Previous work experiences include ICU staffing in Trauma ICU, Burn ICU, CCU, CVICU, and Transplant ICU’s as both a staff nurse or traveling nurse from 1987-1996. From 1996 until 2011, she worked in Home Health and Hospice, as a Clinic Nursing Supervisor and a previous Director of Nursing.

Dana is married to an ICU Registered Nurse for 28 yrs. They have a son, and son and daughter twins. All three children are grown and married. Dana welcomed her first grandchild, a baby boy, into the world on December 1, 2022. Living on a farm, her children were raised participating in Rodeo’s and Livestock Showing. Her hobbies or interests revolve around her children, the cattle and the farm.

Dana is a dedicated, hard worker that believes in taking ownership and responsibility for her job duties and her patient’s care. She feels that every patient should be treated with efficient, quality care with Christian compassion. She lives by the motto “If you do your best and provide the best care possible, then your career as a nurse will be rewarding, it is not just a job—but a calling”.