Connect with us

Arkansas

Report Assesses Access to Primary Care in Arkansas – ACHI

Published

5 days ago

on

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.

Advertisement

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.

Advertisement



Source link

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Arkansas

Congressional subcommittee to hold hearing in Little Rock on ‘failures’ of local housing authority | Arkansas Democrat Gazette

Published

9 hours ago

on

March 10, 2026

By

Congressional subcommittee to hold hearing in Little Rock on ‘failures’ of local housing authority | Arkansas Democrat Gazette


Joseph Flaherty

jflaherty@adgnewsroom.com

Joseph Flaherty covers the city of Little Rock for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. A graduate of Middlebury College and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, he has worked for the newspaper since 2020.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Arkansas

11 people arrested in connection with various charges in Northwest Arkansas | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

Published

21 hours ago

on

March 10, 2026

By

11 people arrested in connection with various charges in Northwest Arkansas | Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette


Arrests

Benton County Sheriff’s Office

Scott Minor, 45, of Elm Street in Jefferson City, Mo., was arrested Friday on suspicion of computer child pornography and sexually grooming a child. Minor was being held Monday in the Benton County Jail with a $150,000 bond set.

Bentonville

Advertisement

Damond Drake, 52, of West Highland Drive in Rogers was arrested Saturday on suspicion of delivery of methamphetamine or cocaine. Drake was being held Monday in the Benton County Jail with no bond set.

Fayetteville

Cornelius Anderson, 33, of Dawn Street in Fayetteville was arrested Saturday on suspicion of third-degree assault on a family member, third-degree domestic battery, first-degree criminal mischief and theft of property. Anderson remained at the Washington County Detention Center Monday in lieu of $5,000 bond.

Eduard Korshakov, 37, of Prairie Dunes Trail in Fayetteville was arrested Saturday on suspicion of aggravated assault on a family or household member, kidnapping, first-degree false imprisonment, third-degree domestic battery and interference with emergency communications. Korshakov remained at the Washington County Detention Center Monday in lieu of $25,000 bond.

Efrain Quiroz, 29, of North Shamblin Avenue in Fayetteville was arrested Sunday on suspicion of second-degree battery and second-degree endangering the welfare of a minor. Quiroz remained at the Washington County Detention Center Monday in lieu of $25,000 bond.

Advertisement

Leo Ward, 21, of West Tanner Drive in Fayetteville was arrested Sunday on suspicion of aggravated residential burglary and stalking. Ward was released from the Washington County Detention Center Monday on $25,000 bond.

Rogers

John Jenkins, 21, of Arkansas 351 in Jonesboro was arrested Saturday on suspicion of fraudulent use of credit/debit card. Jenkins was being held Monday in the Benton County Jail with no bond set.

Springdale

Ashlyn Neal, 19, of Powell Street in Springdale was arrested Saturday on suspicion of kidnapping, second-degree battery, endangering the welfare of a minor, resisting arrest and obstruction of government operations. Neal was released from the Washington County Detention Center Saturday on $5,000 bond.

Advertisement

Jose Neal, 37, of South Powell Street in Springdale was arrested Saturday on suspicion of second-degree domestic battery, third-degree domestic battery, interference with emergency communications and resisting arrest. Neal was released from the Washington County Detention Center Saturday on $5,000 bond.

Skyler Shane, 31, of Highway 62 in Westville, Ok., was arrested Sunday on suspicion of Possession of a Schedule I or II controlled substance with intent to deliver, simultaneous possession of drugs and a firearm, carrying a prohibited weapon and disorderly conduct. Shane was released from the Washington County Detention Center Sunday on $3,500 bond.

University of Arkansas Police Department

Celso Adame-Gallegos, 19 of Jade Street in Springdale was arrested Friday on suspicion of possession of a Schedule VI controlled substance with intent to deliver. Adame-Gallegos was released from the Washington County Detention Center Saturday on $5,000 bond.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Arkansas

Erika Kirk to Join Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders for Announcement at Arkansas State Capitol

Published

1 day ago

on

March 9, 2026

By

Erika Kirk to Join Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders for Announcement at Arkansas State Capitol


LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) — Arkansas leaders are set to take the stage at the State Capitol Wednesday afternoon for an announcement already drawing statewide attention.

At 1 p.m., Sarah Huckabee Sanders will appear alongside Erika Kirk, the chairwoman and CEO of Turning Point USA, at the Arkansas State Capitol.

While officials with the governor’s office have not yet released details about the announcement, the joint appearance is expected to draw significant attention from political leaders and supporters across the state.

The moment also brings renewed focus to the legacy of Erika Kirk’s late husband, Charlie Kirk, a nationally recognized conservative activist who built one of the country’s largest student political organizations aimed at mobilizing young voters on college campuses.

Advertisement

In 2025, Kirk was fatally shot during a campus event at Utah Valley University. Authorities say the gunfire erupted during a gathering connected to student political programming, sending attendees scrambling for safety.

Kirk was rushed from the scene but later died from his injuries, sparking shock and an outpouring of reaction from political leaders, students, and supporters across the country.

In the weeks that followed, memorials and tributes appeared nationwide. In Arkansas, supporters and lawmakers honored Kirk’s life and work with a memorial exhibit displayed inside the Arkansas State Capitol, recognizing the influence he had on conservative youth activism and campus politics.

Following his death, Erika Kirk stepped into a leadership role at Turning Point USA, pledging to continue the organization’s mission and expand its outreach to students across the nation.

On Wednesday, Kirk will again be at the Arkansas State Capitol, this time standing beside Governor Sanders for a joint announcement, as leaders gather and the state waits to learn what the two will unveil.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending