Arkansas Center for Health Improvement

08/06/2025

ACHI's Michelle Kitchens, third from left, participated in a maternal health roundtable today at the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts. The event was organized by the Arkansas Hospital Association and UAMS - University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences' new Arkansas Center for Women and Infants’ Health. Kitchens discussed key data from ACHI's work in the area of maternal health, including information on travel times to Arkansas birthing hospitals and behavioral health events among Arkansas mothers.

Also pictured, from left: moderator Scott Pace of Impact Management Group, Representative Aaron Pilkington, and Anna Strong of the Arkansas chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics

See more information on maternal health in Arkansas on our website: bit.ly/4fq96Bj

John Boozman
Sarah Huckabee Sanders

08/04/2025

Health and housing are closely connected. In a new video, ACHI Interim Health Policy Director Jennifer Wessel discusses that connection — and notes that Arkansas is an outlier in the U.S. in regard to basic tenant protections from poor living conditions.

Read more in our explainer: bit.ly/45qbrcd

07/31/2025

ACHI Interim Executive Director Sandra McGrew, spoke Tuesday to community leaders and economic development professionals of tomorrow at the University of Central Arkansas’s Community Development Institute. Using recent examples from ACHI's media and community outreach efforts, she led a discussion about how to establish an effective external communications strategy.

07/30/2025

A great discussion about one way to address food insecurity in Arkansas.

Food insecurity — limited or uncertain access to food — is a significant challenge for our state, impacting nearly 1 in 5 Arkansans. That includes 1 in 4 children. However, not all Arkansas households that are impacted receive federal or state support. Some may rely on community programs and loc...

07/29/2025

Food insecurity is a significant challenge for our state, impacting nearly 1 in 5 Arkansans. In a new episode of "Wonks at Work," we’re joined by Tonya L Johnson of CHI St. Vincent, who discusses how the hospital system is integrating food pantries into the workplace.

Food insecurity — limited or uncertain access to food — is a significant challenge for our state, impacting nearly 1 in 5 Arkansans. That includes 1 in 4 children. However, not all Arkansas households that are impacted receive federal or state support. Some may rely on community programs and loc...

07/17/2025

What impact will private equity investment have on Arkansas health care? ACHI's Craig Wilson took the stage at the Arkansas Department of Health's Dr. Joseph H. Bates Auditorium to discuss that evolving issue for Thursday's Public Health Grand Rounds presentation.

07/09/2025

Northwest Arkansas leaders envision 1,800 miles of shared-use and bicycle paths connecting communities across the region. Ryan Hale of Laneshift, a Rogers-based firm that specializes in bicycle and pedestrian planning and design, joins host Craig Wilson on "Wonks at Work" to discuss what's involved in building that kind of infrastructure. Listen to the episode here: bit.ly/4eBsiM2

07/04/2025

07/03/2025

Provisions in both the House and Senate versions of the federal budget bill are expected to considerably affect enrollment in Arkansas Medicaid and the Health Insurance Marketplace, in turn affecting access to care and, ultimately, health outcomes. On our blog, we look at the Medicaid-specific provisions in the bills and how they would impact Arkansas.

Both the House and Senate versions of budget legislation under consideration in Congress contain provisions that would considerably affect enrollment in Arkansas Medicaid and the Health Insurance Marketplace.

06/30/2025

Congress has shown a clear intent to reduce federal expenditures on health care, shifting financial responsibility for Medicaid and other federal programs to the states and local communities. ACHI Interim President and CEO Craig Wilson discusses potential healthcare coverage impacts on Arkansas.

06/30/2025

Arkansas has a lot at stake in the current federal budget discussions. In both the House and Senate versions of the budget bill, Congress shows a clear intent to reduce federal expenditures on health care, shifting financial responsibility for Medicaid and other federal programs to the states and local communities. To help local leaders estimate the potential impact on their communities, ACHI created a new resource that shows the most recently available enrollment data for the state's Medicaid expansion waiver program (Arkansas Health and Opportunity for Me, or ARHOME) and for Arkansans buying private insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace. See more on our website: bit.ly/44GSTUK

06/29/2025

Fireworks injuries caused 14,700 people in the U.S. to seek treatment in emergency rooms last year, a whopping 52% increase from 9,700 in 2023, according to data released this week by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. We have more from the new data, and firework safety tips, on our blog.

Fireworks injuries caused 14,700 people in the U.S. to seek treatment in emergency rooms last year, a sharp increase from 9,700 in 2023, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.