Artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies will likely transform health care in the coming years, but is Arkansas well-positioned to adopt and adapt, and will some Arkansans be left behind? These were among the questions considered by leaders …
Arkansas is the second state, after Idaho, to complete the process of redetermining eligibility for Medicaid enrollees whose coverage was extended during the COVID-19 public health emergency. ACHI President and CEO Dr. Joe Thompson and ACHI Health Policy …
The number of first-year residency training positions in Arkansas has not kept pace with the growing number of medical school graduates in the state, according to an ACHI review of publicly available information. In 2019, the number of first-year residency …
Northeastern states New Hampshire (1st), Massachusetts (2nd), and Vermont (3rd) rank as the healthiest states in the U.S., while Southern states Louisiana (50th), Mississippi (49th), and Arkansas (48th) rank as the states with the most opportunity for …
In Arkansas and around the nation, shortages of physicians, nurses, and other healthcare providers continue to challenge hospitals and the communities they serve. At a recent Fayetteville symposium on the future of health care in Arkansas, ACHI invited …
Media literacy and misinformation are among the issues likely to impact the future of health care in Arkansas, according to journalists who took part in a recent ACHI-sponsored event in Little Rock. Titled “On the Record: Media Perspectives on Health Care …
Drug overdose deaths rose sharply among pregnant and postpartum girls and women between 2018 and 2021, according to a National Institutes of Health-funded study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The overdose death rate …
Titled “Looking Ahead: Innovations and Opportunities,” the discussion was part of a symposium exploring the future of heath care in Arkansas and marking ACHI’s 25th anniversary as a catalyst for improving the health of Arkansans. Here are some key …
As giant retailers like Amazon and Costco and startup companies like BetterHelp and Calmerry venture into virtual health care, more and more Americans are sharing personal health information online. We like to think our information is kept private and …
A new designation gives online users the ability to find hospitals that have been recognized for their commitment to high-quality maternity care. Consumers can now search for facilities that have received the “birthing-friendly” designation through the …
In 2023, the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement is marking its 25th anniversary as a nonpartisan, independent health policy center with the mission to serve as a catalyst for improving the health of Arkansans. In his latest column for the Healthcare …
Arkansas had the third-highest infant mortality rate in the nation in 2022, with 7.67 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, according to provisional data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Infant mortality” refers to the death of …
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently denied R.J. Reynolds’ applications to keep six flavored e-cigarette products under its Vuse Alto brand, including top-selling menthol, on the market. The FDA has regulatory authority to evaluate whether new …
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is seeking public comment on how to strengthen mental health and substance use disorder parity — i.e., the equal treatment of those services as compared to other medical services — in Medicaid and the …
For much of the past 70 years, Dr. Joe Bates worked tirelessly to ensure that everyone across Arkansas could benefit from equal access to quality health care. Whether mentoring medical students, conducting vital public health research, or bringing people …
Healthcare providers should screen for hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDPs) with blood pressure measurements throughout pregnancy, according to a final recommendation released by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) on Sept. 19. The …
The United States has a higher maternal mortality rate than any other developed nation, and Arkansas’s rate is the worst in the nation. Women of color in Arkansas are also twice as likely to die as White women from complications related to pregnancy or …
As Medicare prepares to use its new authority to negotiate for lower prices on certain costly prescription drugs, several trade associations and drug manufacturers have initiated a series of lawsuits seeking to block the negotiations. Aiming to make health …
A new report finds that 37.4% of adult Arkansans are obese, with Arkansas and Iowa tied for the 12th-highest adult obesity rate among the states and the District of Columbia. The “State of Obesity 2022: Better Policies for a Healthier America” report, …
On Sept. 1, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) introduced a proposed rule that, for the first time, outlines federal minimum staffing standards for direct patient care in long-term care (LTC) facilities. The rule also would establish new …
