Karen Byers  
Secretary

About

After completing her first nursing degree in 1987, Karen Byers started down a path that provided a firm foundation of psychiatric and medical nursing experience. Thirty-five years later, she is now a master’s prepared Nurse Educator and Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. As such, she possesses an intuitive understanding of treating mental health and behavioral disorders and in-depth knowledge of chronic medical conditions. Her experience spans the fields of cardiology, pulmonology, medical-surgical, critical care, emergency medicine, and general medicine. She is knowledgeable in Medication Assisted Treatment Recovery (MAT) for opioid use disorders in rural Communities. Her advanced education allows her to provide comprehensive diagnostic assessment and treatment to geriatric, adult, adolescent, and children an outpatient, inpatient, and virtual-psychiatric settings. She is able to provide research and evidence-based psychopharmacology management, psychotherapy, therapeutic interventions, and patient-family-centered compassionate care across the lifespan. Her accomplishments include: nomination and receiving the Healthcare Professional of the Year award 2023 from Conway Healthcare Forum and Chambers of Commerce, membership with American Nurses Association (ANA), membership with American Psychiatric Nurses Association (APNA), and recently embarking upon a start-up chapter with Arkansas Black Nurses.