Levi Hospital to hold Mental Health Awareness Luncheon
Levi Hospital will host a Mental Health Awareness Luncheon on Oct. 10 in honor of World Mental Health Day.
With the cancellation of the annual Baron’s Ball fundraiser, the hospital was looking for something to help raise awareness for its services while helping support those services.
Jackie Arrison, the hospital’s vice president for advancement, said the Baron’s Ball was strongly tied to master of ceremonies Davis Tillman, who retired from the role of the Baron.
Tillman was “a very integral part of that event, as much as it has to do with wanting the public in our community to know what the services are at Levi Hospital and the type of care that we provide,” she said.
“We have an inpatient psychiatric unit and outpatient counseling, and we also have outpatient physical therapy. But we want to emphasize the programs that are provided at Levi Hospital, and we thought this would be a great opportunity to bring a speaker (who) could talk about not just mental health but mental and physical well-being and how the two are connected to each other — which we thought was perfect for Levi Hospital to sponsor or to present, since we do offer services that cover both your mental and your physical health and well-being.”
Arrison said Stephanie Alderdice, president of 61 Celsius, which provides some advertising and branding services for the hospital, suggested the event to Arrison.
“I took her an entire list of all the different things that are celebrated or recognized throughout the year that had anything to do with mental health or physical health,” Arrison said. “And so she simply suggested, ‘Would you consider doing a luncheon on World Mental Health Day and bringing in a keynote speaker?’ and I said, ‘That sounds like a fabulous idea.’ … We’ve had a positive response to the event so far.”
There are 200 tickets available for the event, which will feature University of Arkansas Assistant Athletic Director for Mental Health and Performance Christopher Bader.
“He is with the University of Arkansas athletics, so we thought that that would grab someone’s attention when they saw his name and his title and where he’s employed because we are in Arkansas, and a lot of people are Arkansas fans,” Arrison said.
Bader was also selected because “he is not just looking at the physical performance of the athlete, but he’s looking at their emotional and mental well-being, as well. And again, it bridges … the same services that are provided at Levi Hospital where our tagline has been for a number of years ‘Healing mind and body since 1914,'” she said.
In a news release, Arrison thanked the event’s presenting sponsor, Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort, and “our gracious host,” ASMSA.
“Levi Hospital believes that understanding the delicate balance between the mind and body is essential for everyone, not just athletes. This event aims to enhance overall health awareness and promote identifying issues before they can escalate,” she said in the release.
With additional support from First Security Bank, Southern Bancorp, Empower Healthcare Solutions, and National Park College, “the primary objective of the Mental Health Awareness Luncheon is to raise awareness and support for mental health services offered in Garland County and emphasize the connection between mental and physical well-being. As one of the leading providers of inpatient and outpatient mental health services in Garland County, Levi Hospital works to ensure the holistic health of its community members,” she said.
The luncheon will be held at the Creativity and Innovation Complex at the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts, 220 Whittington Ave., from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tickets for the event can be purchased for $30 per person or a table of eight can be purchased for $240 at https://levihospital.com/world-mental-health-day-luncheon.
