Two UAMS Employees Elected to Lead Governor’s Advisory Council on Aging
| Brian Jones, DHSc, vice chancellor for Regional Campuses at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), and AmyLeigh Overton-McCoy, Ph.D., APRN, director of the UAMS Centers on Aging, recently were elected to one-year terms as leaders of the Governor’s Advisory Council on Aging.
The 15-member advisory council, working in conjunction with the Arkansas Department of Human Services’ Division of Aging, Adult and Behavioral Services, assists in the planning and implementation of the state’s strategic plan for aging Arkansans. The council also serves as an advocate for this population through interactions with the governor, Arkansas Legislature, state agencies, media outlets and other organizations.
Council members are appointed by the governor to four-year terms.
At their final quarterly meeting of each year, the members select officers to guide the council during the following year. When they convened in October, they elected Jones as chair and Overton-McCoy as vice chair for 2026.
Jones, who has been a member since 2018, previously served for two terms as chair during the COVID-19 pandemic. He has a background in hospice and palliative care, working as a director or administrator for hospice programs in Iowa, Tennessee and Kentucky — most recently as director of hospice and palliative care from 2012-2017 for St. Elizabeth Healthcare in Edgewood, Kentucky.
“I’ve always had an interest in aging-related issues,” he said.
Jones highlighted some of the ways the advisory council makes an impact, including through its involvement in the state’s biennial Silver Haired Legislative Session. The mock assembly allows delegates ages 60 and older to learn about the legislative process and draw attention to issues that affect the lives of aging adults. Some of the measures approved by the delegates have been adapted by state leaders and passed into law.
Council members also apply their expertise in discussions about how to better address the needs of Arkansans, Jones said. During the October meeting, he made a presentation about the role of UAMS Regional Campuses in providing high-quality care to aging adults.
“We had a great discussion about the number of older adults we see at each of our Regional Campuses, as well as the importance of annual wellness visits for members of this population,” he said.
Overton-McCoy, a member since 2022, is shifting into the role of vice chair after serving this year as the council’s chair. She previously served as vice chair in 2023. As director of the UAMS Centers on Aging, she oversees a wide variety of services for older adults at seven locations across the state.
The Centers on Aging program, part of the UAMS Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, strives to improve the quality of life for older Arkansans and their families by providing local access to specialized education and clinical care.
Overton-McCoy said she is excited about the opportunity to help lead the advisory council’s efforts in the coming year.
“It is an honor to serve next year with Dr. Jones as the chair,” she said. “He is a delight to work with, and we have collaborated well together for several years now.”