Arkansas, officially "The Natural State," is a state of mountains, valleys, dense woodland and fertile plains. Arkansas covers 52,068 square miles, with a 2010 estimated population of 2,915,918 people- 1,158,551 living in rural Arkansas (USDA-ERS). The state capital is Little Rock. The largest cities are Little Rock, Fort Smith and Fayetteville. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 77.0% of the state’s population is white, 15.4% is Black/African-American, and 6.4% is of Hispanic/Latino origin (2010).
There are 78 hospitals in Arkansas (Kaiser, 2009), 28 of which are identified by the Flex Monitoring Team as Critical Access Hospitals (Sept. 2010). The state has 12 Federally Qualified Health Centers provide services at 56 sites (Kaiser, 2010). There are also 72 Rural Health Clinics in Arkansas (Kaiser, 2011). 19.0% of Arkansas residents lack health insurance (Kaiser, 2008-2009).
According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per-capita income for Arkansas residents in 2009 was $32,315, although rural per-capita income lagged at $28,584. Estimates from 2010 indicate a poverty rate of 20.8% exists in rural Arkansas, compared with 17.2% in urban areas of the state. 2010 ACS data reports that 21.2% of the rural population has not completed high school, compared to 15.9% of urban populations. The unemployment rate in rural Arkansas is 9.0%, while in urban Arkansas it is 7.2% (USDA-ERS, 2010).
For a national comparison, please see an overview of the United States.
Data Sources
U.S. Census Bureau: State & County QuickFacts; USDA Economic Research Service: State Fact Sheets ; Arkansas Office of Rural Health & Primary Care; Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts; Flex Monitoring Team: Critical Access Hospital List
Organizations
Arkansas Area Health Education Center Program (AHEC)
Provides access to medical services for rural residents and education for healthcare students and professionals. Their website offers information on and contact details for each of the 8 regional AHECs in the state.
Arkansas Community Action Agencies Association (ACAAA)
State/regional organization
Provides training, technical assistance, communications support, information resource development, and advocacy to the 16 private, nonprofit community action agencies throughout the state. ACAAA is a private, nonprofit organization located in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Arkansas Department of Health
State government
Works to promote public health policies and practices that assure a healthy quality of life for Arkansas residents.
Arkansas Department of Human Services
State government
Provides support services to Arkansas residents including families, children, youth, seniors, and those with disabilities. It also provides health and community services and support to citizens in need with telephone hotlines, food stamps, and shelter information.
Arkansas Health Care Access Foundation (AHCAF)
State/regional organization
Provides donated non-emergency medical care to low-income, medically uninsured U.S. citizens residing in Arkansas.
Arkansas Hospital Association (AHA)
State/regional organization
Assists its members through collective initiatives which facilitate the integration and improvement of the delivery of healthcare services throughout Arkansas.
Arkansas Office of Child Support Enforcement
State government
Is responsible for the delivery of child support services under Title IV-D of the Social Security Act. Assists both individuals and employers with information and services pertaining to child support laws.
Arkansas Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities
State government
Assists in ensuring that health services are appropriate, accessible and sensitive to the needs of the minority population.
Arkansas Office of Rural Health & Primary Care
State government
Promotes the development of community-based health care services and systems throughout Arkansas to ensure that well managed, quality health services are available to all citizens. This is a component of the Arkansas Department of Health (William Rodgers) and Human Services, Division of Health.
Community Health Centers of Arkansas, Inc. (CHCA)
State/regional organization
Strives to ensure 100% access and zero disparities through promoting and facilitating shared resources, collaborative partnerships, and providing technical assistance to impact positively the expansion of healthcare services in and among communities.
Foundation for the Mid-South
Nonprofit/Foundation
Focuses on four regional priorities including Education, Health & Wellness, Wealth Building, and Community Development. Works in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
HIT Arkansas
State/regional organization
Arkansas State Health Information Technology Regional Extension Center (REC) that helps health care providers become meaningful users of electronic health records by providing information and technical assistance.
HUD Community Development Block Grants: Arkansas
Federal government
Contact information for the State CDBG program. Provides funding for community development projects.
National Network of Libraries of Medicine, South Central Region (NN/LM-SCR)
State/regional organization
Supports collaboration among libraries and information centers that serve health information needs in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.
Southern Rural Development Center (SRDC)
State/regional organization
One of four regional rural development centers in the nation. Works to strengthen the region's 29 land-grant institutions in addressing rural development issues. Serves a 14 state area in the Southern region which includes TX, LA, AR, OK, AL, MS, GA, FL, KY, SC, NC, VA, and TN.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development: Arkansas
Federal government
Works to increase homeownership, support community development and increase access to affordable housing. The HUD state office provides information about HUD housing programs and local contacts for the state.
USDA Rural Development Arkansas State Office
Federal government
Committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in all of rural America. The Rural Development State Office provides information about Rural Development programs and applications for financial assistance.
Tools
Arkansas Association of Charitable Clinics (AACC)
Web site
Promotes access to basic health care services for the underserved/indigent population of Arkansas, provides networking and educational opportunities among the association members, and supports existing health care service providers to promote the well being of the underserved/indigent population. AACC is a public-benefit corporation, nonprofit, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization.
Arkansas Department of Health: Grant and Bid Opportunities
Web site
Provides links to current funding opportunities and other community development information relative to Arkansas citizens
Arkansas Department of Health: Health Statistics
Web site
The Arkansas Center for Health Statistics is the location for health-related data collection, data management, analysis, statistics, research, consultation, training, publication and computer use.
Arkansas Department of Health: Lifestage Health
Web site
Provides strategies to reduce and/or eliminate occurrences of tobacco use, obesity, and physical inactivity that cause chronic diseases with information and tips for communities and individuals.
Arkansas Health Centers Data
Web site
Provides access to information on Federally Qualified Health Centers for the state. Includes a map of FQHC locations, as well as information on the populations served by health centers, services provided, staff, patient visits, costs of care, and use of electronic health information.
Arkansas KIDS COUNT Data Center (KCDC)
Web site
Provides data on child well-being for the state.
Arkansas QuickFacts
Web site
Basic demographic and economic statistics for the state, with links to county-level data.
Arkansas State Health Facts
Database
The latest state-level data on demographics, health, and health policy, including health coverage, access, financing, and state legislation. Individual state profiles and 50-state comparisons.
ERS State Fact Sheet: Arkansas
Web site
Lists statistics on population, educational attainment, employment, income, farm characteristics, and farm financial indicators for the state.
National Healthcare Quality Report State Snapshot: Arkansas
Web site
Health care quality report for the state, based on the National Healthcare Quality Report.
NN/LM South Central Region: Arkansas Resources
Web site
Overview of the state, with links to state agencies, health associations, and other resources for Arkansas.
See also: Resources for All States: Tools Funding
Blue and You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas Grants
Provides grants that positively affect the health of Arkansans.
Community Resource Group (CRG) Loan Fund
Loans to help small, rural communities and tribal nations, in select states, for water and wastewater projects.
Entergy Micro Grants
Micro Grants can be used for projects that effectively impact arts & culture, community improvement/enrichment, education & literacy, the environment or healthy families.
Gannett Foundation Community Action Grants
Community action grant priorities include education and neighborhood improvement, economic development, youth development, community problem-solving, assistance to disadvantaged people, environmental conservation and cultural enrichment.
Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation
Provides resources to build and sustain strong communities for all Arkansans.
Inactive Funding
Inactive Funding Opportunities -
Lists additional funding programs for this state that are not currently accepting applications. Programs that are inactive may be offered again in the future.
Documents, Reports and Other Publications
Around the Country: Arkansas A Unique Partnership
Author(s): Thomas D. Rowley
Sponsoring organization: Rural Assistance Center
Discusses a partnership between Arkansas' Corning Ware Healthcare Inc. and the Lawrence Health Services to become the nation's first partnership between a FQHC and a CAH. Provides service to the underserved and uninsured people in the state's northeast corner.
Journal citation: Rural Monitor Issue Spring
Date: 04 / 2005
Around the Country: QuadCo - Offering Prescription Assistance in Rural Arkansas
Author(s): Candi Helseth
Sponsoring organization: Rural Assistance Center
Highlights an innovative rural health network in Arkansas which offers prescription drug assistance and medical supplies to the uninsured and underinsured.
Journal citation: Rural Monitor Issue Spring
Date: 05 / 2008
Barriers to Diabetes Self-management Education Programs in Underserved Rural Arkansas: Implications for Program Evaluation
Author(s): Appathurai Balamurugan, Mark Rivera, Leonard Jack, Kristen Allen, Sharon Morris
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Describes barriers faced during the implementation of DSME (Diabetes Self-Management Education) programs in medically underserved rural areas of Arkansas. Displays by county, the DSME program status and prevalence of diabetes.
Date: 01 / 2006
Demographic and Economic Profile: Arkansas
Author(s): Kathleen K. Miller
Sponsoring organization: Rural Policy Research Institute
Discusses demographic and economic data including population, race, education, age, poverty, income, and more. Includes maps and graphics.
Date: 02 / 2009
Housing in the Lower Mississippi Delta
Sponsoring organization: Housing Assistance Council
Discusses the housing needs of the Lower Mississippi Delta that will require multi-level approaches to address the social, political, and economic infrastructure of the region.
Date: 10 / 2010
Long-term Care in Arkansas: A Survey of AARP Members
Author(s): Joanne Binette
Sponsoring organization: AARP
Presents the attitudes and opinions of 1,000 Arkansas AARP members on the issue of long-term care.
Date: 12 / 2005
Look at the Mid South Delta Region: A Glimpse of Its Assets, Socioeconomic Complexion, and Emerging Opportunities
Author(s): Bo Beaulieu, Marcus Littles
Sponsoring organization: Southern Rural Development Center
Offers a brief overview of the potential that exists to improve the social and economic conditions in the Mid South Delta Region.
Date: 03 / 2009
Oral Health: Preventing Cavities, Gum Disease, and Tooth Loss Success Stories
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Describes successful oral health programs in Arkansas, Nevada, and Wisconsin.
Date: 2010
Rural Dropout Problem: An Invisible Achievement Gap
Author(s): Jerry Johnson, Marty Strange, Karen Madden
Sponsoring organization: Rural School and Community Trust
Reviews high school dropout rates and related factors in rural high schools throughout 15 Southern and Southwestern states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and West Virginia.
Date: 2010
Rural Profile of Arkansas
As with earlier Rural Profiles, the 2009 version takes a careful look at important trends in Arkansas’ social, demographic and economic structure. In this version, special attention
is given to the stresses that are being exerted on households and state and local governments as result of the ongoing national and international economic downturn.
Date: 2009
Small Business Profile: Arkansas
Sponsoring organization: Small Business Administration
Profile of the state's economy, covering the number of firms, industry composition, small business income, banking, women and minority business ownership, and employment.
Date: 02 / 2011
See also: Resources for All States: Documents Success Stories
ANGELS: Antenatal & Neonatal Guidelines, Education and Learning System- Arkansas
A statewide telehealth program enhances access to care and improves outcomes for high-risk pregnancies in rural areas.
Arkansas Regional Quality Improvement Initiative
The Arkansas RQI initiative is targeting quality improvement breakthroughs in four clinical areas: comprehensive diabetes care, cervical cancer screening, well-child visits, and preventive services for adults.
Maternal Infant Health Outreach Worker Program
The Vanderbilt Center for Health Services’ Maternal Infant Health Outreach Worker (MIHOW) program provides early intervention services to low income families in Nashville as well as other urban and rural areas in Appalachia and the Mississippi delta, including Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, and West Virginia.
|
