| Date | Title | Description |
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| Feb 8, 2025 | New Resource Aims To Support Diabetes Research in Arkansas | About 290,000 Arkansans, or 12.3% of the adult population, have been diagnosed with diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. Diabetes is an especially high-cost disease: Medical expenses are approximately 2.6 times higher f... |
| Jan 7, 2025 | Arkansas Chosen To Participate in New Maternal Care Model | Arkansas has been selected to participate in a new delivery model focused on improving maternal health care for enrollees in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Arkans... |
| Dec 21, 2024 | Magazine Spotlights Tom Bruce Award Recipient, ACHI Findings on Maternal Health | The winter 2024 issue of The Arkansas Family Physician, the official publication of the Arkansas Academy of Family Physicians, includes articles spotlighting one of the 2024 Dr. Tom Bruce Arkansas Health Impact Award recipients and highligh... |
| Sep 27, 2024 | Delta Innovator Search Announces Winning Ideas To Improve Health, Economy in Region | LITTLE ROCK, ARK. ― A multistate initiative has recognized nine regional entrepreneurs, scientists, agricultural leaders and other innovators as winners of the inaugural Delta Innovator Search. The search, organized by the Rural Innovation ... |
| Aug 18, 2024 | Medicare Successfully Negotiates New Prices for 10 Costly Drugs | Following landmark negotiations between Medicare and drug makers, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced Thursday, Aug. 15, that reduced prices for 10 of the most expensive prescription drugs will go into effect Jan.... |
| Aug 16, 2024 | Survey Shows Worsening Mental Health Among Teens, But Also Some Positive Trends | A new survey finds worsening rates of persistent sadness, protective sexual behaviors, and experiences of violence among U.S. teens. The survey also includes some positive findings, however, including declining rates of illicit drug use and... |
| Jul 30, 2024 | Marketplace Health Insurance Premium Costs to Arkansas Consumers Could Jump 84% if Enhanced Subsidies Expire | A new KFF analysis finds that health insurance premium payments for Arkansans buying coverage through the health insurance marketplace could increase by an average of 84% — or $828 in annual payments, an increase from $984 to $1,812 — if Co... |
| Jul 30, 2024 | ACHI President Discusses Maternal Health on ‘Arkansas Week’ | ACHI President and CEO Dr. Joe Thompson appeared on the July 26 episode of Arkansas PBS’ “Arkansas Week” with host Dawn Scott to discuss Arkansas’s maternal mortality crisis and ongoing efforts to analyze and address the issue.
Maternal and... |
| Jun 14, 2024 | Proposed Federal Rule Would Remove Medical Debt From Credit Reports | Arkansans may soon have medical debt information eliminated from their credit reports under a proposed rule by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued Tuesday, June 11.
The CFPB’s action follows a 2022 report which found that... |
| Jun 14, 2024 | Report Ranks Arkansas 45th for Health, Well-Being of Older Adults | Arkansas continues to be among the worst-ranked states for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation (49th), motor vehicle deaths (49th), physical inactivity (48th), and tooth extractions (48th) among older adults.
Nota... |
| May 1, 2024 | Updates to WIC Food Packages Aim To Give Participants More Options | Newly announced updates to the food packages of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, or WIC, aim to provide more options and flexibility for nearly 7 million moms, babies, and children across the Unite... |
| Apr 11, 2024 | Why Arkansas Could Be a Model for Mississippi Medicaid Expansion | As Mississippi House and Senate leaders prepare to begin negotiations on a compromise bill to expand Medicaid, some Mississippians are looking to Arkansas’s unique form of Medicaid expansion as a possible model to emulate. The nonprofit new... |
| Apr 9, 2024 | Innovation Fuel Needed To Ensure Arkansas Moms Survive and Thrive | Arkansas needs to make considerable investments in interventions all along the birthing journey to improve maternal health outcomes in the state, ACHI Health Policy Director Craig Wilson writes in a column for Talk Business & Politics.
... |
| Apr 5, 2024 | CMS Final Rule Aims To Streamline Application, Renewal Processes for Medicaid, CHIP | (Original post published September 8, 2022)
On March 27, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued a final rule to streamline the application and renewal processes for Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).... |
| Mar 21, 2024 | 2024 County Health Rankings Highlight Disparities Between Arkansas Counties | The 2024 edition of an annual report ranking U.S. counties based on health outcomes and health factors reveals ongoing gaps between urban and rural regions in Arkansas.
Released Wednesday, March 20, the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps... |
| Mar 13, 2024 | Weight-Loss Drugs: Other Key Considerations | Drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound have the potential to improve the health of millions of people with obesity and obesity-related diseases, but there are multiple factors to consider in deciding whether to use these drugs, ... |
| Feb 15, 2024 | Weight-Loss Drugs: Cost and Cost-Effectiveness | Drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound are effective in helping people lose weight, but the high price tag keeps them out of reach for many. Our series on weight-loss drugs continues with a look at the drugs’ cost and whether they are cost-effectiv... |
| Feb 7, 2024 | How Doulas Could Help Address Arkansas’s Maternal Health Crisis | Doulas are professionals trained in childbirth who provide emotional, physical, and other supports to pregnant or recently pregnant woman. For more on what doulas do, see our explainer.
The ACHI Health Policy Board has taken a position in s... |
| Feb 2, 2024 | 92% of Pregnancy-Related Deaths in Arkansas Likely Preventable | Ninety-two percent of pregnancy-related deaths that occurred in Arkansas between 2018 and 2020 were likely preventable, according to the 2023 Arkansas Maternal Mortality Review Committee (AMMRC) Legislative Report, published in December.
Th... |
| Feb 2, 2024 | Why Georgia Lawmakers See Arkansas as a Possible Model for Medicaid Expansion | Arkansas’s innovative Medicaid expansion program is seen by some Georgia legislators as a possible model for their state, which is one of 10 states that still have not adopted full Medicaid expansion. In a guest column published by the Cobb... |
| Jan 23, 2024 | Report: Labor and Delivery Services in Jeopardy at Rural Arkansas Hospitals | More than half of rural hospitals in Arkansas that provide labor and delivery care are at risk of losing those services, according to a report by the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform titled “Addressing the Crisis in Rural Ma... |
| Dec 7, 2023 | The Future of Health Care in Arkansas: Addressing Labor Shortages | 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, ... |
| Dec 6, 2023 | The Future of Health Care in Arkansas: Media Perspectives | 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... |
| Nov 22, 2023 | New Designation Recognizes Hospitals for High-Quality Maternity Care | 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... |
| Aug 8, 2023 | FDA Approves First Pill To Treat Postpartum Depression | For the first time, mothers experiencing postpartum depression can take a pill approved specifically to treat their condition.
On Friday, Aug. 4, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Zurzuvae, the first oral medication for t... |
| Jul 18, 2023 | ACHI President Discusses New Health-Related Arkansas Laws Going Into Effect Soon | In his latest column for the Healthcare Journal of Arkansas, ACHI President and CEO Dr. Joe Thompson discusses new health-related laws going into effect in Arkansas at the end of July, including measures to address maternal and infant healt... |
| Jul 18, 2023 | How Your Meds Can Change How You Weather the Weather | With the heat breaking records this year, it is important to know that the risk of heat-related illness and death can be higher for people who use certain medications.
Some medications can interfere with the body’s natural defenses against ... |
| Jun 22, 2023 | Tips for Avoiding Heat-Related Illnesses | Americans can expect 2023 to be among the 10 hottest years on record, and possibly even the top five, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Heat is the No. 1 weather-related killer in the U.S., so it’s important ... |
| Jun 15, 2023 | ACHI President Discusses Health Issues of New Moms, Infants | Radio station KUAF continues its series on maternal health and mortality with a third episode, again featuring comments from ACHI President and CEO Dr. Joe Thompson. In this episode, Dr. Thompson discusses post-delivery health issues of new... |
| Apr 7, 2023 | ACHI Data Director Discusses Importance of Data Governance | Advancing transparency in health care requires not only collecting and storing data but also ensuring its integrity, availability, usability, security, and anonymity. This is known as data governance, the subject of a HealthTech Magazine st... |
| Mar 31, 2023 | UPDATE: FDA Authorizes First Naloxone Product as Over-the-Counter Medicine | (Original post published January 26, 2023)
On Wednesday (March 29), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first naloxone product for over-the-counter, non-prescription use.
Naloxone — distributed under the brand name Narc... |
| Mar 31, 2023 | What the End of the Public Health Emergency Means for COVID-19 Testing, Treatment, and Vaccines | With the COVID-19 public health emergency expiring May 11, important changes are on the horizon for COVID-19 testing, treatment, and vaccination coverage. In a previous post, we discussed what the end of the public health emergency would me... |
| Mar 10, 2023 | What the End of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Means for Telehealth | The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed telehealth into the mainstream, with vast numbers of patients and healthcare providers turning to virtual visits to maintain social distancing while still receiving and providing medical care. Much of this t... |
| Jan 28, 2023 | ACHI President Discusses Arkansas’s State of Maternal Health | Arkansas has the highest maternal mortality rate in the nation. In an interview with radio station KUAF, ACHI President and CEO Dr. Joe Thompson discusses this unwelcome distinction, as well as policy options for improving maternal health i... |
| Jan 7, 2023 | FDA To Consider Authorizing Certain Naloxone Products for Over-the-Counter Use | In November, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released a notice of a preliminary assessment regarding the safety and efficacy of distributing certain naloxone products without a prescription.
The FDA said it will consider whether... |
| Dec 15, 2022 | With Flu Cases and Deaths High, Arkansas Hospitals, ACHI Urge Flu Shots | More than 15,900 positive flu tests have been reported to the Health Department by health care providers this season, although reported cases represent only a portion of actual cases, because not everyone who gets sick gets a test. The Heal... |
| Dec 15, 2022 | Record Enrollment Expected for Federal Health Insurance Marketplace | Arkansans are encouraged to review their options for health insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace as the close of open enrollment on Jan. 15 draws closer. Enhanced premium tax credits are still available, thanks t... |
| Dec 3, 2022 | ACHI President Criticizes Twitter’s Lifting of Ban on COVID-19 Misinformation | Twitter recently decided to stop enforcing its policy against COVID-19 misinformation, a move that ACHI President and CEO Dr. Joe Thompson tells reporters is irresponsible and potentially dangerous.
“The No. 1 law of medicine is ‘Cause no h... |
| Nov 16, 2022 | National Scorecard Ranks Arkansas 23rd Among States in Healthcare Affordability | Arkansas is ranked 23rd out of 50 states and the District of Columbia in healthcare affordability in a new analysis from the Altarum Healthcare Value Hub.
The 2022 Healthcare Affordability State Policy Scorecard ranks states based on polici... |
| Oct 22, 2022 | ACHI President Discusses Surge in Overdose Deaths in Arkansas During Pandemic | Drug overdose deaths in Arkansas reached new heights during the COVID-19 pandemic, with illicitly manufactured fentanyl and other synthetic opioids contributing to the increase, ACHI President and CEO Dr. Joe Thompson says in a new intervie... |
| Oct 20, 2022 | ACHI Gives Thanks for Extraordinary Efforts, Sacrifices in Pandemic | LITTLE ROCK ― The Arkansas Center for Health Improvement gave thanks Tuesday to all those whose extraordinary efforts and ongoing sacrifices during the COVID-19 pandemic have positively impacted Arkansas families and communities.
Expression... |
| Oct 15, 2022 | 15 Million Americans Expected To Be Disenrolled From Medicaid, CHIP After COVID-19 Emergency Ends | An estimated 15 million, or 17.4%, of Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollees are projected to be disenrolled from those programs during the eligibility redetermination process at the end of the COVID-19 public hea... |
| Oct 12, 2022 | Court Orders HHS To Restore Full Payments to Hospitals in 340B Drug Pricing Program | As hospitals in Arkansas face mounting financial challenges from inflation and personnel costs, a recent federal court decision offers a bright spot for certain safety net hospitals.
In 2017, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services... |
| Sep 29, 2022 | Food Deserts Common in Arkansas, ACHI Analysis Shows | LITTLE ROCK ― In more than 1 in 4 census tracts in Arkansas, 50% or more of the local population had low access to healthy food sources in 2019, according to an Arkansas Center for Health Improvement analysis of U.S. Department of Agricultu... |
| Sep 17, 2022 | ACHI Health Policy Director Discusses Proposed Guidelines for Spending Opioid Settlement Funds | Arkansas has begun receiving part of its $216 million share of a $26 billion national settlement with drug distributors McKesson, AmerisourceBergen, and Cardinal Health and drug manufacturer Johnson & Johnson over their roles in the opi... |
| Aug 23, 2022 | Need To Invest in School Nurses, Counselors Greater Now Than Ever | Over the past two school years, school nurses and counselors have been on the front lines alongside teachers in responding to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the mental distress experienced by students and their families. In... |
| Aug 16, 2022 | House Passes Bill Extending ACA Subsidies Through 2025, Ensuring Continued Affordable Health Insurance for Millions | On Friday, Aug. 12, the U.S. House of Representatives passed The Inflation Reduction Act, marking the passage of the most substantial climate legislation ever passed in Congress. The bill also contains notable healthcare provisions, includi... |
| Aug 11, 2022 | A Profile of Craig Wilson, ACHI’s Multi-Talented Health Policy Director | ACHI Health Policy Director Craig Wilson’s many talents — which include not only analyzing and developing public health policy but also acting, singing, and dancing — are spotlighted in a profile in the Sunday, Aug. 7, issue of the Arkansas... |
| Aug 5, 2022 | Summer Safety: How Your Meds Can Change How You Weather the Weather | One factor many may not consider in preventing heat-related illnesses is how medication use can affect how the body responds to heat, as well as the effectiveness of some medications. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevent... |
| Aug 5, 2022 | ACHI President Discusses COVID-19 Prevention as New School Year Approaches | With the start of a new school year approaching, parents face decisions about protecting their children from COVID-19. ACHI President and CEO Dr. Joe Thompson offers advice for parents in a story published Wednesday in the Eureka Springs In... |
| Aug 5, 2022 | Make Sure Kids’ Vaccines Are Up to Date Before School Starts | As families prepare for the start of school this month, it is important to ensure that children’s vaccines are up to date to protect themselves, classmates, family members, and the community. Arkansas law requires that students who attend p... |
| Aug 1, 2022 | ACHI President, Hospital CEOs Discuss Challenges Facing Healthcare Facilities | ACHI President and CEO Dr. Joe Thompson, Baptist Health President and CEO Troy Wells, and UAMS Medical Center CEO Dr. Steppi Mette discuss the challenges Arkansas hospitals are facing in a recent Talk Business and Politics story.
Staffing i... |
| Jul 27, 2022 | UPDATE: CMS Proposes ‘Birthing-Friendly’ Hospital Designation | Original post (published May 6, 2022):
A new “birthing-friendly” hospital designation is a key feature of a proposed rule issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). According to CMS, the designation would “assist consum... |
| Jul 20, 2022 | Addressing the Opioid Crisis: New Program Aims to Reduce Overdose Deaths in Arkansas | The July/August issue of the Healthcare Journal of Arkansas includes an article by ACHI President and CEO Dr. Joe Thompson discussing the opioid overdose epidemic and a new program that seeks to reduce overdose deaths in Arkansas.
Thompson ... |
| Oct 1, 2012 | Arkansas launches cost transparency project to cut $4.4M from Medicaid costs in 2013 | This concept, one of the first of its kind — especially on this scale — got the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services‘ go-ahead earlier this month.
In a state with one of the nation’s highest poverty rates and where 26 percent of resid... |
| Arkansas launches cost transparency project to cut $4.4M from Medicaid costs in 2013 | Today Arkansas will kick off a program to reduce its Medicaid costs and improve care through a partnership with its largest private insurance companies — Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield and QualChoice. If successful, experts say the state’s... |
