LITTLE ROCK – Mary Jo Ring, director of plant operations at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), was honored by the American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) with its Emerging Regional Leader Award.

A member of ASHE since 1994, Ring was recognized as the honoree from Region Seven during the trade organization’s annual conference in National Harbor, Md. The award is presented annually to one ASHE member from each of its 10 geographic regions for showing accomplishments in the field of health care engineering and facilities management.

As a recipient of the award, Ring is invited to participate in ASHE’s annual leadership training program and to serve as a volunteer on its business development committees which will significantly impact the future of the organization.

UAMS is the state’s only comprehensive academic health center, with five colleges, a graduate school, a medical center, six centers of excellence and a statewide network of regional centers. UAMS has 2,652 students and 733 medical residents. Its centers of excellence include the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, the Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, the Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy, the Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, the Psychiatric Research Institute and the Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging. It is one of the state’s largest public employers with about 10,000 employees, including nearly 1,150 physicians who provide medical care to patients at UAMS, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, the VA Medical Center and UAMS’ Area Health Education Centers throughout the state. UAMS and its affiliates have an economic impact in Arkansas of $5 billion a year. Visit www.uams.edu.