Bubba Arnold Retiring After 43 Years of Service to St. Vincent

After 43 years of service for our ministry at St. Vincent, Bubba Arnold is retiring on September 30!

It all began in 1981 when Bubba started his career at St. Vincent Infirmary as a Pharmacy Tech. While working at the Infirmary, he completed his Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy at UAMS in 1983. He then worked as a Pharmacist at the Infirmary until 1995 when he was promoted to Pharmacy Manager. Bubba would be promoted to Director in 1998 and served in that role for 11 years. In 1999, Bubba completed his Doctor of Pharmacy at UAMS. It didn’t take long until he was promoted to the VP of Operations in 2009. Bubba wouldn’t serve in that role long before he was named President of St. Vincent Morrilton in 2012 where he has been serving for the past 12 years.

During Bubba’s career he has been recognized by several organizations for his leadership. In 1989, the Arkansas Hospital Pharmacist Association named him Pharmacist of the Year; in 2004 he received the Sister Margaret Vincent Blandford Leadership Award; in 2014 he was named Arkansas Hospital Association Administrator of the Year; and in 2016 he was named HealthCare Hero, Administrator of the Year.

The teams who have served under Bubba’s leadership have had many accomplishments including:

• In 2014, 2018 and 2022, St. Vincent Morrilton was recognized by the ANCC as a Pathway to Excellence facility.
• In 2018, CHI recognized St. Vincent Morrilton as the Living Our Mission Top Performer in Employee Engagement, Physician Engagement and Safety.  
• In 2024, CHARTIS Center for Rural Health named St. Vincent Morrilton a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital in the country.  
• And for many years St. Vincent Morrilton has led the organization in Employee Engagement, Quality, Safety and Patient Experience.

“Bubba has been a leader, a teammate, an advisor and a friend. He is the definition of a Servant Leader who is honest, kind, thoughtful and faith-driven. He developed trust and long lasting relationships with leaders, coworkers and physicians and community members over the years,” said Chad Aduddell, Market President.

Bubba and his wife, Cheryl, plan to retire near Greers Ferry Lake, and look forward to spending more time with their family and friends, traveling, and “calling the Hogs.”

Congratulations and best of luck, Bubba!