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Arkansas 2024-25 roster: D.J. Wagner is latest former Kentucky player to follow John Calipari to Razorbacks

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Arkansas 2024-25 roster: D.J. Wagner is latest former Kentucky player to follow John Calipari to Razorbacks


New Arkansas coach John Calipari landed Kentucky transfer D.J. Wagner from the transfer portal Sunday. Wagner is the sixth Kentucky player or committed player to follow Calipari to Arkansas this offseason.

The Wagner family has deep ties to Calipari as D.J.’s father, Dajuan Wagner, played for Calipari when he was the coach at Memphis.

Calipari has landed serval high-profile commitments this offseason, including former Florida Atlantic star Johnell Davis and Tennessee forward Jonas Aidoo. Davis, who ranks as the No. 1 player in the CBS Sports Transfer Rankings, was the 2023-24 AAC co-Player of the Year. Aidoo is one the best 2024 transfers in college basketball and was one of the best defensive players in the country at his position. 

Last month, Arkansas landed a commitment from four-star wing Billy Richmond, who previously signed his National Letter of Intent to play for Calipari at Kentucky.

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Richmond is the third member of Kentucky’s star-studded 2024 recruiting class to follow Calipari to Arkansas. Four-star forward Karter Knox was the first to flip his commitment to Arkansas to play for Calipari. The Knox family has ties to Calipari, as his older brother, Kevin Knox ll, played for him at Kentucky during the 2017-18 season. 

Calipari’s second high school commitment of the offseason came from another former player from his recruiting class at Kentucky. Calipari landed four-star guard Boogie Fland shortly on Thursday. The first commitment of the Calipari era at Arkansas was another familiar face in Zvonimir Ivišić, who played at Kentucky last season.

There is still plenty of work for Calipari and his staff to do to form a complete roster ahead of the season that starts in less than seven months, but after making the biggest splash of the offseason earlier this month to replace former coach Eric Musselman with one of the prominent figures in the sport, the Razorbacks are off to a strong start.

CBS Sports is tracking the status of the Arkansas roster and recruiting class in real time. Here’s where every current Arkansas player and commitment currently stand.

Zvonimir Ivišić abd John Calipari will reunite in Fayetteville.
USATSI

Arkansas newcomers

Zvonimir Ivišić (Transfer from Kentucky)

GP: 15 | GS: 0 | PPG: 5.5 | RPG: 3.3

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While Ivišić didn’t play a ton during his freshman season, he made an impact when he played. Hours after he was ruled eligible by the NCAA on Jan. 20, Ivišić recorded 13 points, five rebounds, and a pair of assists in his collegiate debut. Days after Ivišić entered the transfer portal, he announced he would follow Calipari and had committed to Arkansas. He should see a larger role in Year 2.

Jonas Aidoo (Transfer from Tennessee)

GP: 36 | GS: 36 | PPG: 11.4 | RPG: 7.3

Aidoo is one of the more underrated players in the country because he can play the four or the five and defend both positions at a high level. Aidoo was one of the top-shot blockers in the SEC last season (1.8 bpg.) Aidoo should be in line to be a Day 1 starter for Calipari after he started all 36 games this past season for the Volunteers.

Johnell Davis (Transfer from FAU)

GP: 34 | GS: 34 | PPG: 18.2 | RPG: 6.3

Davis was one of the best mid-major players in the country last season. After spending four seasons at FAU, Davis entered the transfer portal and simultaneously declared for the 2024 NBA Draft. Davis will go through the draft process this month before making a final decision. If he does indeed return to college, it would be a massive boost for the Razorbacks.

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Adou Thiero (Transfer from Arkansas) 

GP: 25 | GS: 19 | PPG: 7.2 | RPG: 5 

Thiero entered his name into the transfer portal last month and was the No. 77 player available in David Cobb’s transfer portal rankings. Thiero saw a larger role during his second season in Lexington, making 19 starts and 25 appearances while averaging career-highs in almost every statistical category. 

D.J. Wagner (Transfer from Kentucky) 

GP: 29 | GS: 28 | PPG: 9.9 | RPG: 1.9

As CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander reported, Wagner opted for a reunion with his old coach after taking visits to Arkansas and USC. Norlander also reported that Wagner “flirted with the idea of playing at Oregon and Florida.” Wagner was one of the top recruits in the country from the 2023 cycle and will spend his sophomore season in Fayetteville.

Arkansas players not expected to return

Tramon Mark (Committed to Texas)

GP: 31 | GS: 28 | PPG: 16.2 | RPG: 4.3

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Mark will be at his third school in three years after transferring into the program from Houston last offseason. The 6-foot-6 guard is coming off the best season of his career and posted a career-high in points. Mark committed to Texas to continue his college career.

Khalif Battle (In transfer portal)

GP: 32 | GS: 13 | PPG: 14.8 | RPG: 3.3

Battle started his career at Butler during the 2019-20 campaign before transferring to Temple. Battle spent three seasons with Temple before spending his only season with the Razorbacks. Battle’s next and final stop of his college career will be his fourth school. He entered the transfer portal earlier this month.

Makhi Mitchell (Out of eligibility)

GP: 33 GS: 5 | PPG: 8.6 | RPG: 4.6

Mitchell averaged 8.6 points and started five games for Arkansas this past season. Before his arrival in Fayetteville, Arkansas, he had stops at Maryland and Rhode Island. 

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Trevon Brazile (Declared for NBA Draft/entered transfer portal)

GP: 26 | GS: 23 | PPG: 8.6 | RPG: 5.9

Brazile declared for the 2024 NBA Draft after averaging 8.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game. Brazile started his career at Missouri before transferring to Arkansas ahead of the 2022-23 season. Brazlie entered the transfer portal hours before the deadline.

Keyon Menifield Jr. (In transfer portal)

GP: 14 | GS: 4 | PPG: 7.9 | RPG: 2.1

Menifield started 21 games during his freshman season at Washington before transferring to Arkansas. He started four games and appeared in 14 total games. He will be looking for his third school in three years.

Jalen Graham (Out of eligibility)

GP: 21 | GS: 5 | PPG: 7.6 | RPG: 3.0

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After spending the first three years of his career at Arizona State, Graham transferred to Arkansas. He averaged 7.6 points in his final college season.

El Ellis (Out of eligibility)

GP: 31 | GS: 22 | PPG: 6.5 | RPG: 2.0

The former Louisville guard averaged 17.7 points and 4.4 assists during the 2022-23 campaign. He started 22 games in his final college season at Arkansas and averaged a career-low 6.5 points per game.

Davonte Davis (In transfer portal)

GP: 30 GS: 23 | PPG: 5.9 | RPG: 3.4

The former three-star prospect committed to Arkansas in the 2020 recruiting cycle and spent the last four seasons with the program. The highlight of his Arkansas career was a 25-point outburst in a win over Kansas in the second round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament.

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Jeremiah Davenport (Out of eligibility)

GP: 31 | GS: 8 | PPG: 5.0 | RPG: 1.8

Davenport spent the first four seasons of his college career at Cincinnati before transferring to Arkansas last offseason. He appeared in 31 games and averaged 5.0 points, 1.8 rebounds and 0.9 assists.

Layden Blocker (In transfer portal)

GP: 27 GS: 5 | PPG: 3.7 | RPG: 1.6

The former four-star prospect from the 2023 recruiting cycle averaged 3.7 points, 1.6 rebounds, and 1.0 assists during his freshman season in Fayetteville. Blocker entered the transfer portal last month.

Chandler Lawson (Out of eligibility)

GP: 33 GS: 27 | PPG: 3.7 | RPG: 3.1

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Lawson was a four-star prospect in the 2019 recruiting cycle and had stops at Oregon and Memphis before spending his final college season with Arkansas. Lawson started 27 games and made 33 total appearances.

Joseph Pinion (In transfer portal)

GP: 19 | GS: 1 | PPG: 2.4 | RPG: 0.6

Pinion entered the transfer portal after appearing in 19 games this past season with Arkansas. He made 26 appearances during the 2022-23 campaign.

Baye Fall (In transfer portal)

GP: 9 | GS: 0 | PPG: 0.8 | RPG: 1.3

Fall entered the transfer portal after making nine appearances this past season. Fall was the No. 29 overall player in the 2023 recruiting cycle by 247Sports.

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Denijay Harris (In transfer portal)

GP: 11 | GS: 1 | PPG: 0.6 | RPG: 0.8

Harris entered the transfer portal after appearing in 11 games this past season. He spent the three years before that at Southern Miss.

Arkansas recruits no longer committed

No. 45 Isaiah Elohim (Committed to USC)

The former Arkansas signee requested a release from his National Letter of Intent shortly after Musselman took the job at USC. Elohim committed to USC on Monday.

No. 72 Jalen Shelley

Like Elohim, Shelley de-committed from Arkansas shortly after the coaching change. Shelley committed to the Razorbacks out of high school over Louisville, Alabama, Creighton, Houston, and more. He is expected to have plenty of suitors for his services because he is one of the top uncommitted players on the board.

Arkansas’ incoming recruiting class

Kentucky finished with a top-five recruiting class every cycle since 247Sports started tracking team rankings in 2010 under Calipari. The Wildcats landed the No. 1 recruiting class in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2020, and 2023 under his watch. But in an era when age and experience rule the day in college basketball, relying so heavily on one-and-done prospects began to hurt Kentucky in recent seasons. Kentucky’s 2024 recruiting star-studded class ranked only behind Duke in the team rankings. Most of Calipari’s previous commits at Kentucky are expected to at least give Arkansas a look before deciding where they will play next season. 

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Here is a look at Arkansas’ roster and incoming recruiting class with 247Sports rankings.

No. 20 Karter Knox (Previously committed to Kentucky)

Knox committed to Kentucky on March 9 over Louisville, USF, and a return to Overtime Elite. He was the highest-ranked high school player on the board available after former Indiana signee Liam McNeeley requested a release from his NLI. Knox’s brother, Kobe, is a current player at USF. Former Kentucky assistant coach Kenny Payne, now on Calipari’s staff at Arkansas, helped recruit Kevin to Kentucky and attempted to recruit Karter to Louisville before his firing. 

No. 22 Billy Richmond (Previously committed to Kentucky)

Richmond committed to Kentucky on Dec. 21 over Alabama, LSU, and Memphis but decommitted on April 16. The Richmond family has deep ties to Calipari. Richmond’s father, who is also named Billy Richmond, played for Calipari at Memphis from 2002 to 2004. Richmond is considered an athletic lefty wing with the chance to make an immediate impact when he steps onto campus this fall at Arkansas.

No. 26 Boogie Fland (Previously committed to Kentucky)

The McDonald’s All-American is one of the best combo guards in the country and ranked only behind Rutgers signee Dylan Harper for the top player at the position. Fland originally committed to Kentucky over Alabama, UConn, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, and St. John’s. Fland followed Calipari to Arkansas and will play for the Razorbacks this season.

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Arkansas man accused of killing daughter’s alleged abuser wins Republican sheriff’s nomination

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Arkansas man accused of killing daughter’s alleged abuser wins Republican sheriff’s nomination


An Arkansas man accused of killing his teenage daughter’s alleged abuser recently won the Republican nomination for local sheriff while waiting to stand trial for murder in his rural county, where he ran on a message of seeing the failures of law enforcement.

Aaron Spencer defeated Lonoke county sheriff John Staley in a primary election Tuesday, according to unofficial results posted by the Arkansas secretary of state. He would not be able to serve if he is convicted of killing Michael Fosler, 67, who at the time was out on bond after being charged with numerous sexual offenses against Spencer’s then 13-year-old daughter.

Spencer’s attorneys do not deny that he shot and killed Fosler – but maintain he acted within the law to protect his child from a predator.

Spencer won more than 53% of the vote with all precincts reporting, according to unofficial results. Staley, whose department arrested Spencer in 2024, conceded the loss.

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“Congratulations to Mr Spencer,” Staley said in a statement posted on Facebook. “Tonight the voters made their decision in the Republican Primary, and I respect the decision.”

Spencer said in a statement that his message of accountability resonated with voters.

“Tonight, the people of Lonoke county stood up and chose transparency and accountability,” Spencer said. “This wasn’t a campaign about me. It was about every family who called for help and got nothing. That betrayal ends tonight.”

He is now set to face Democrat Brian Mitchell Sr in the heavily Republican county in November.

Spencer has pleaded not guilty and is out on bond while awaiting trial, which was originally scheduled to start in January. The trial was delayed after the presiding judge was removed from the case. A new date has not been set.

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Court documents show that on the night of the October 2024 shooting, Spencer woke up to find his daughter missing from her bedroom and went searching for her in his truck. He found the girl in the passenger seat of a vehicle Fosler was driving. Spencer eventually forced Fosler’s truck off the highway and, after an altercation, called 911 to report he had shot the man, records show.

Prosecutors argue Spencer had planned to kill Fosler even before that night and that he could have called police while pursuing Fosler.

Spencer’s attorney, Erin Cassinelli, wrote in an email to the Associated Press that the election results have no bearing on the facts of the case.

“Aaron Spencer did exactly what the law allows and exactly what any father would do: he protected his daughter and himself from harm,” Cassinelli said. “At some point, those responsible for this prosecution will have to reckon with that.”

Spencer pledged in a Facebook post in February that if elected he would establish a dedicated team to combat sex crimes against children.

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How to watch Georgia softball at Arkansas series, streaming and more

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How to watch Georgia softball at Arkansas series, streaming and more


No. 15 Georgia softball (18-5) opens conference play on the road in Fayetteville, Ark., on Friday, March 6, against the No. 7 Razorbacks (19-1).

The Friday game has been moved up to 3 p.m. from 7 p.m. due to weather expected in the area.

The last time Georgia faced Arkansas was in the 2025 SEC Tournament. The Razorbacks defeated the Bulldogs, 5-1, on a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the seventh inning in the second round.

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Georgia is coming into conference play with an 18-5 record, while Arkansas only has one loss to Virginia from Feb. 7. The Razorbacks are on a 17-game winning streak with 12 of those games ending in mercy-rulings.

Here’s what you need to know about the Georgia-Arkansas weekend series to open 2026 SEC play:

What channel is Georgia softball at Arkansas?

Georgia’s weekend series at Arkansas will be streamed through the SEC Network+. Fans looking to stream the games can go to the ESPN app. An ESPN select subscription totals $12.99 monthly or $129.00 annually, while an ESPN unlimited subscription totals $29.99 monthly or $299.99 annually.

There is no other way to tune into these games, as the university is not streaming the game audio on their radiocast.

Georgia softball start times at Arkansas

Georgia has a three-game weekend series at Arkansas, with later than normal first pitches due to being in Central Time:

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Date Time (ET)
Friday, March 6 3 p.m.
Saturday, March 7 6 p.m.
Sunday, March 8 2 p.m.

Georgia vs Arkansas softball history

  • Series record: Georgia leads, 41-26
  • Georgia’s last win: March 31, 2024; 8-2
  • Arkansas’ last win: May 7, 2025; 5-1

Georgia softball score updates at Arkansas

This section will be updated throughout the series.

Game 1

TEAM 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH 5TH 6TH 7TH FINAL
Arkansas
Georgia

Game 2

TEAM 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH 5TH 6TH 7TH FINAL
Arkansas
Georgia

Game 3

TEAM 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH 5TH 6TH 7TH FINAL
Arkansas
Georgia

Georgia softball 2026 schedule

Record: 18-5 overall

  • SEC competition*
  • Red & Black Showcase^
  • Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational#
  • Georgia Classic/
  • Bulldog Classic//
Date & Time Opponent Location Result
Feb. 6 @ 3:30 p.m. Missouri State^ Athens W, 10-1 (5 inn.)
Feb. 6 @ 6 p.m. Fordham^ Athens W, 7-1
Feb. 7 @ 1 p.m. Fordham^ Athens W, 5-1
Feb. 7 @ 3:30 p.m. Belmont^ Athens W, 12-0 (5 inn.)
Feb. 8 @ 1 p.m. Belmont^ Athens L, 1-2
Feb. 12 @ 11 a.m. Oklahoma State# Clearwater, Fla. L, 5-6
Feb. 12 @ 4 p.m. Nebraska# Clearwater, Fla. W, 6-5
Feb. 13 @ 9 a.m. NC State# Clearwater, Fla. W, 16-2 (5 inn.)
Feb. 13 @ 1 p.m. UCF# Clearwater, Fla. W, 13-5 (5 inn.)
Feb. 14 @ 1 p.m. Northwestern# Clearwater, Fla. W, 8-3
Feb. 14 @ 4 p.m. Duke# Clearwater, Fla. W, 9-1 (5 inn.)
Feb. 18 @ 4 p.m. Samford Athens W, 13-8
Feb. 20 @ 3:30 p.m. Seton Hall/ Athens W, 9-1 (5 inn.)
Feb. 20 @ 6 p.m. Utah State/ Athens W, 4-1
Feb. 21 @ 3:30 p.m. Virginia Tech/ Athens L, 3-9
Feb. 21 @ 6 p.m. Utah State/ Athens W, 11-2 (5 inn.)
Feb. 22 @ 1 p.m. Virginia Tech/ Athens L, 3-9
Feb. 25 @ 6 p.m. Clemson Athens L, 1-10 (6 inn.)
Feb. 27 @ 6 p.m. South Alabama// Athens W, 8-0 (5 inn.)
Feb. 28 @ 1 p.m. South Alabama// Athens W, 9-0 (5 inn.)
Feb. 28 @ 3:30 p.m. UNC-Wilmington// Athens W, 9-1 (5 inn.)
March 1 @ 1 p.m. UNC-Wilmington// Athens W, 9-1 (5 inn.)
March 4 @ 6 p.m. Georgia State Athens W, 9-1 (5 inn.)
March 6 @ 3 p.m. Arkansas* Fayetteville, Ark.
March 7 @ 6 p.m. Arkansas* Fayetteville, Ark.
March 8 @ 2 p.m. Arkansas* Fayetteville, Ark.
March 10 @ 6 p.m. West Georgia Athens
March 18 @ 6 p.m. Georgia Tech Athens
March 20 @ 6 p.m. Mississippi State* Athens
March 21 @ 2 p.m. Mississippi State* Athens
March 22 @ 2 p.m. Mississippi State* Athens
March 25 @ 6 p.m. Mercer Athens
March 27 @ TBD Kentucky* Lexington, Ky.
March 28 @ TBD Kentucky* Lexington, Ky.
March 29 @ TBD Kentucky* Lexington, Ky.
April 2 @ TBD Texas A&M* College Station, Texas
April 3 @ TBD Texas A&M* College Station, Texas
April 4 @ TBD Texas A&M* College Station, Texas
April 8 @ 6 p.m. USC-Upstate Athens
April 10 @ 6 p.m. Missouri* Athens
April 11 @ 2 p.m. Missouri* Athens
April 12 @ 2 p.m. Missouri* Athens
April 15 @ 6 p.m. Kennesaw State Kennesaw, Ga.
April 18 @ 4 p.m. Texas* Athens
April 19 @ Noon Texas* Athens
April 20 @ 7 p.m. Texas* Athens
April 22 @ 6 p.m. Georgia Southern Athens
April 24 @ TBD Oklahoma* Norman, Okla.
April 25 @ TBD Oklahoma* Norman, Okla.
April 26 @ TBD Oklahoma* Norman, Okla.
April 30 @ 6 p.m. Florida* Athens
May 1 @ 6 p.m. Florida* Athens
May 2 @ Noon Florida* Athens
May 5-9 SEC Tournament Lexington, Ky.
May 15-17 NCAA Regional Campus sites
May 21-24 NCAA Super Regional Campus sites
May 28-June 5 Women’s College World Series Oklahoma City, Okla.



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Report Assesses Access to Primary Care in Arkansas – ACHI

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Report Assesses Access to Primary Care in Arkansas – ACHI


Arkansas has made significant investments to strengthen its primary care physician workforce over the past decade. New medical schools have opened in the state, residency program slots have increased, and loan forgiveness programs have been established to incentivize residency graduates to remain in the state to practice. Despite these efforts, access to a usual source of care (i.e., a place where one goes for routine healthcare needs) remains a challenge for many Arkansans, according to a new report.

Published February 12 by the Milbank Memorial Fund, the report, “Investing in Primary Care: The Missing Strategy in America’s Fight Against Chronic Disease,” evaluates states’ primary care performance. Among its findings is that 18% of Arkansas adults report not having a usual source of care, which is comparable to the national estimate of 17%. That means that nearly 1 in 5 Arkansans do not have a consistent way of interacting with the state’s healthcare system.

Access to a Usual Source of Care

Nationwide, the report finds that among adults with chronic disease, having a usual source of care is associated with lower odds of hospitalization and lower total spending on health care. These findings are particularly relevant for Arkansas, where chronic disease prevalence remains high. The most recent America’s Health Rankings report from the United Health Foundation ranked Arkansas 44th among all 50 states and the District Columbia for its percentage (15%) of adults with three or more chronic conditions — such as arthritis, diabetes, or cancer — in 2023, with the top-ranked state having the lowest percentage.

The Arkansas Primary Care Payment Improvement Working Group, established under Act 483 of 2025, is currently examining primary care investment in the state. The group, which includes a representative from ACHI, is tasked with measuring current primary care spending, evaluating the adequacy of the primary care delivery system, and recommending spending targets for Medicaid and commercial insurers. These efforts align with national recommendations to track and increase primary care investment, an issue we highlighted in a previous post.

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Arkansas’s Primary Care Workforce

The country’s primary care workforce supply is another focus of the Milbank report. The report estimates that Arkansas had 58 primary care physicians per 100,000 residents in 2023, below the national average of 68 per 100,000 residents. The Milbank report also finds that 29% of Arkansas physicians were working in primary care in 2023, compared to 27% nationally.

The state’s higher-than-average share of physicians choosing primary care is encouraging, but long-term retention and geographic distribution remain challenges. ACHI developed the Arkansas Primary Care Physician Workforce Dashboard, an interactive tool that allows users to view data on primary care physicians practicing in Arkansas. The dashboard — which uses a broader definition of “primary care physician” than the Milbank report’s — shows that per capita rates of primary care physicians vary widely between urban and rural counties, and that two counties, Montgomery and Newton, had no active full-time primary care physician in 2022. The dashboard also shows that 26% of fill-time primary care physicians in the state were 60 or older in 2022, raising concerns about future supply as many approach retirement.

The Milbank report finds that in communities with higher levels of social deprivation — measured by the social deprivation index, a composite indicator of socioeconomic hardship — primary care physician availability in Arkansas is lower on average than in similarly deprived communities nationwide. Given the high burden of chronic disease among Arkansans, this is a concerning finding.

Recommendations

States that invest in primary care, as highlighted in the Milbank report, experience downstream improvements in population health and lower healthcare costs. Arkansas has established the infrastructure to evaluate and potentially increase those investments. ACHI will continue to track physician supply, distribution, and access to help inform primary care policy discussions.

Find more information about Arkansas’s healthcare workforce on our topic page.

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