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Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by State: Arkansas

The Effects of Medicare Advantage on Rural Hospitals With St. Bernards Healthcare
Podcast episode featuring a discussion with Chris Barber, president and CEO of St. Bernards Healthcare, which serves communities in Arkansas and Missouri. Describes how certain Medicare Advantage plan practices can create problems for rural hospitals, health systems, and patients.
Date: 01/2024
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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Risk Factors for Adolescent Drug and Alcohol Abuse in Arkansas 2024
Provides state, region, and county-level data for Arkansas related to substance abuse by youth. Identifies risk factors associated with drug and alcohol abuse, such as the number of arrests, unemployment, school infractions, tobacco and cannabis retailers, and more, as well as associated public health outcomes such as substance use-related mortality.
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organizations: Arkansas Department of Human Services, Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care, UA Little Rock MidSOUTH Center for Prevention and Training
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2024 Arkansas State Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroup: Annual Profile of Substance Use
Provides information on youth and adult substance abuse in Arkansas to help guide substance abuse prevention decision-making. Highlights consequences such as arrests, suicide, and depression and focuses on alcohol, tobacco, illicit drug, and prescription drug use. Includes county-level profiles and an overview of a variety of community and personal health indicators.
Additional links: County Report
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organizations: Arkansas Department of Human Services, UA Little Rock MidSOUTH Center for Prevention and Training, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
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Arkansas Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) Surveillance Report, 2022
Provides current data on chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis infections for Arkansas by sex, race/ethnicity, age, and prevalence by county.
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organization: Arkansas Department of Health
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Arkansas State Health Assessment (SHA) 2024 Scorecard
Uses data to highlight trends over time for Arkansas residents related to population health and demographics, mortality, chronic illnesses, emerging health issues, and rural health. Rural health data highlights healthcare access and food insecurity trends. See county-level data by selecting a Result header, indicated by a green R icon.
Date: 2024
Sponsoring organization: Arkansas Department of Health
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Improving Access to Primary Care for Underserved Populations: A Review of Findings from Five Case Studies and Recommendations
Summarizes and synthesizes the findings from a series of five case studies that explored the impact of policy initiatives that aim to improve access to primary care. Covers increasing the availability of primary care providers, improving underserved communities' access to outpatient clinics, removing structural barriers to care, making primary care affordable, and improving comfort and communication between providers and patients. Presents recommendations for federal and state policymakers, primary care practices, medical schools, and other relevant stakeholders. Includes rural examples and considerations throughout.
Additional links: Executive Summary
Author(s): Maanasa Kona, Jalisa Clark, Emma Walsh-Alker
Date: 11/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Center on Health Insurance Reforms, Milbank Memorial Fund, National Institute for Health Care Reform
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Red County: Arkansas County Life Expectancy Profile 2023 Report
Reports on Arkansas's Red Counties, defined as the Arkansas counties with a life expectancy at birth more than 6 years below the Arkansas county with the highest life expectancy at birth. Offers comparisons of red and non-red counties over time and analysis of health outcomes, behaviors, clinical care indicators, social and economic factors, and physical environment factors for red counties.
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organizations: Arkansas Department of Health, Arkansas Minority Health Commission, Office of Health Disparities Elimination
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Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention, and Education Annual Report, 2022-2023
Annual report of the Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention, and Education's activities for 2022-2023. Includes summary of organizational structure, research, outreach, and grants funded.
Date: 10/2023
Sponsoring organization: Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention, and Education
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Adult Obesity in Rural America: An Examination of the Relationships Between Obesity Prevalence, Sociodemographic Factors, Access to Care, and Differences Between Rural and Urban Counties
Provides an overview of obesity prevalence in rural versus urban counties. Analyzes factors related to obesity such as education, income, physical inactivity, healthcare workforce, and food, internet, and healthcare access. Includes case studies and data related to obesity prevalence in Texas and Arkansas.
Additional links: Appendix, Executive Summary
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: NORC at the University of Chicago
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Rural Health Value Summit: Driving Value Through Community-Based Partnerships
Provides an overview of a June 2023 summit regarding the intersection of rural providers and communities, value-based care and payment models, and social determinants of health (SDOH). Describes the efforts of Arkansas, Michigan, Oregon, and South Carolina communities that had representatives at the summit. Discusses opportunities for policymakers, payers, and health system leaders to build and support infrastructure to address social determinants of health in rural communities and offers possible next steps.
Date: 09/2023
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Value
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