Health Education and Human Sciences | Lion VoicesFebruary 04, 2026

Lifetime in Healthcare Spurs Education

Written By: Ian Silvester

Growing up, Dr. Cheryl Holden said she always knew she would wind up working as a nurse or in education. Fast forward a few decades, and she has achieved working in both fields, imparting more than 40 years of healthcare experience to students at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith. 

“My motto has always been that if I didn’t accept what I was asked to do, then if there was ever a job that I wanted, they wouldn’t offer it to me,” she said about her move to UAFS and into her role as executive director of the master’s in healthcare administration program. 

In nursing, Holden did it all. She worked her way through being a CNA, LPN, ADN, BSN, MSN, and earned a doctoral degree in health sciences before spending her last few years in the field working for Mercy’s corporate offices in St. Louis, Mo. It was around 10 years ago when she came to UAFS after being asked to teach and delay her plans for retirement. 

“I loved it and decided to stay,” she said with a smile. 

Holden started teaching in 2016, bringing a wealth of real-world knowledge and degrees from the University of Oklahoma (Bachelor of Nursing), University of Phoenix, Tulsa location (Master of Nursing), and A.T. Still University in Arizona (Doctor of Health Sciences). 

By 2018, she was tapped to lead the first master’s program at UAFS. Sticking to her motto, she has been at the forefront of helping the program grow ever since. 

“It really makes me happy when I see one of the UAFS students in their community working in a healthcare administrator role,” Holden said. 

According to Holden, healthcare administrators were typically out of sight individuals in hospitals, public health care organizations, assisted living facilities, and government agencies. They worked behind the scenes, crunching numbers and making financial decisions on the supplies and equipment to purchase. 

Now, the job has become more visible, and thanks to programs like the master’s in healthcare administration at UAFS, administrators are approachable and knowledgeable in budgeting, strategic planning, legislation, and more. 

“Healthcare has all sorts of challenges,” she said. “It’s really helpful when you have an effective healthcare administrator or somebody who knows what’s going on with that organization. We read every day that hospitals and healthcare organizations are closing their doors, and we have to be in tune with what’s going on around us. Behind every successful healthcare organization is an effective healthcare administrator diligently working.” 

Holden said she believes UAFS has done and continues to do a great job recognizing the needs of communities and preparing healthcare students to make an impact. 

“I have peace of mind and a happy heart when that student graduates, and I see them being effective in our communities,” Holden said. 

As the program is fully online, Holden said that the impact of UAFS graduates extends beyond Arkansas to Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, and Tennessee. In 2021, UAFS intentionally sought to grow the healthcare leadership workforce by being one of the few master-level programs to offer in-state tuition to students in bordering states.

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