Arkansas News
News stories from the past 60 days.
RBS: Notice of Funding Opportunity for the Delta Health Care Services Grant (DHCS) for Fiscal Year 2026
Federal Register
Apr 6, 2026 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) is accepting applications for the Delta Health Care Services (DHCS) grant program for fiscal year 2026. The purpose of the program is to address the unmet healthcare needs in the Delta Region through cooperation among healthcare professionals, institutions of higher education, research institutions, and economic development entities in the region.
Source: Federal Register
Related funding:
Delta Health Care Services Grant Program
Mar 26, 2026 - Describes a telestroke program in Oklahoma connecting rural patients to specialty care. Discusses the funding that makes the program possible, plans to expand the program using Rural Health Transformation Program funding, and a similar program in Arkansas.
Source: KOSU, NPR
Mar 5, 2026 - Highlights the new Medical Laboratory Sciences Extended Internship Program at an Arkansas university. The program aims to reduce rural medical laboratory staff shortages in Arkansas and nearby states by training local students. An increase in rural lab staff would both speed up lab processing times and decrease the cost of care.
Source: UAMS News
Feb 24, 2026 - Describes the challenges small communities face with maintaining water systems with focus on two communities in Arkansas and Louisiana. Discusses funding, workforce, and aging infrastructure as barriers to consistently providing clean drinking water.
Source: WWNO, NPR