2023 Scholarship Recipients

ArHIMA Martha Wilbers/Faye Arnold Scholarship Recipient

Matana Ferguson

Matana Ferguson, a student at the NorthWest Arkansas Community College, always knew she wanted to work in the medical field as she has many relatives who are chronically ill, including her parents and herself. Having watched so many loved ones navigate healthcare she knew she wanted to be part of making the healthcare industry better. Matana stated, “With the help of the Martha Wilbers/Faye Arnold Scholarship, I will be able to continue my education in health information management and work to better this field through compassion and innovation.”

ArHIMA Martha Wilbers/Faye Arnold Scholarship Recipient

Hallie Smith

Hallie Smith is a sophomore at the University of Arkansas Pulaski Tech working toward an associate degree in health information technology. She resides in Saline County with her two teenage children, whom she loves to travel with to different venues across the U.S.

ArHIMA Silent Auction Scholarship Recipient

Shaunte Betts

Shaunte Betts will graduate with honors in May with an associate degree from the Health Information Technology Program at National Park. She lives in Garland County with her 5 beautiful children. She enjoys volunteering at her church to help her community as well as traveling. She looks forward to furthering her education by getting a bachelor’s degree in health information management.

Blankenship, Johnson, and Wilkins Scholarship Recipient

Abby Biggs

Abby is a graduate student at Arkansas Tech University. She is a Sr. Inpatient Coding Specialist at Mercy maintaining 96% accuracy along with over 100% productivity. Her goals are to eventually become a coding lead, a coding training and education specialist, or work in health quality measures.

Blankenship, Johnson, and Wilkins Scholarship Recipient

Jenifer Finley, RHIA, CCS

Jenifer has a bachelor’s degree in HIM from Arkansas Tech University and is currently enrolled in their Health Informatics graduate program. She holds RHIA & CCS credentials and is currently an HIM coding manager for a large healthcare organization. Jenifer has spent her HIM career in the HIM Coding area and yes, she does still have ICD-9 codes embedded in her brain. Jenifer is also an adjunct instructor for the HIT program at ATU-Ozark. In her spare time, Jenifer loves to read and go to concerts.

Blankenship, Johnson, and Wilkins Scholarship Recipient

Megan Veazey

Megan Veazey is a graduate student at Arkansas Tech University enrolled in the Health Informatics Program. This is her second master’s degree being pursued at ATU, the first being in Business Administration. She is currently the Insurance Specialist at Saint Mary’s and looks forward to furthering her career in health information. She enjoys spending time with her son and participating in Boy Scouts and church activities.