Arkansas, officially "The Natural State," is a state of mountains, valleys, dense woodland and fertile plains. Arkansas covers 52,068 square miles, with a 2008 estimated population of 2,855,390 people- 1,147,682 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, 80.9% of the state’s population is white, 15.8% is Black/African-American, and 5.3% is of Hispanic/Latino origin (2007).
There are 78 hospitals in Arkansas, 49 of which are located in rural areas (North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center, Dec. 2008). The state has 29 hospitals currently identified by the Flex Monitoring Team as Critical Access Hospitals, and there are 12 Federally Qualified Health Centers provide services at 60 sites in the state (Kaiser, 2007). There are also 69 Rural Health Clinics in Arkansas (CMS, 2009). 17.5% of Arkansas residents lack any health insurance (Kaiser, 2006-2007).
According to the USDA Economic Research Service, the average per-capita income for all Arkansas residents in 2007 was $30,177 although rural per-capita income lagged at $25,650. Estimates from 2007 indicate a poverty rate of 20.0% exists in rural Arkansas, compared with 15.9% in urban areas of the state. Data from 2000 finds that 29.3% of the rural population has not completed high school, while 21.1% of the urban population lacks a high school diploma. The unemployment rate in rural Arkansas is 6.0%, while in urban Arkansas it is 4.5% (USDA-ERS, 2008).
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
North Carolina Rural Health Research and Policy Analysis Center
Arkansas Office of Rural Health & Primary Care
Kaiser Family Foundation State Health Facts
Flex Monitoring Team: Critical Access Hospital List
Organizations
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 (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.
Community Resource Group (CRG)
Nonprofit/Foundation
Works in rural areas to expand the opportunities for families to build assets, improve their lives, and strengthen their communities.
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.
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 Announcements
Web site
Provides links to current funding opportunities and other community development information relative to Arkansas citizens
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 Health Workforce: Highlights from the Health Workforce Profile
Web site
Highlights compile 2000 data on levels of employment, projected growth and key environmental factors that affect demand for health care. Details for medicine, nursing, dentistry, pharmacy, mental health and aides.
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.
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)
Database
Provides access to reports, surveys, and fact sheets from the BRFSS, a telephone survey that tracks health risks in the United States. Data is available by state and for the nation.
ERS State Fact Sheet: Arkansas
Web site
Lists statistics on population, educational attainment, employment, income, farm characteristics, and farm financial indicators for the state.
Health Arkansas: For a Better State of 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.
MedlinePlus Go Local
Web site
Offers information about health services in local geographic areas, including hospitals, physicians, nursing homes, support groups, health screening providers and many others.
National Healthcare Quality Report State Snapshot: Arkansas
Web site
Health care quality report for the state, based on the National Healthcare Quality Report.
State Profiles- Arkansas: Health Information Technology (HIT)
Web site
Profiles the state’s health information technology (HIT) issues. Contains sections on demographics, HIT legislation, telemedicine, Health Information Exchanges (HIE) & Regional Health Information Organizations (RHIO), grant funded HIT projects, and HIT survey information.
Vital Information for a Healthy Arkansas
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.
See also: Resources for All States: Tools Funding
Kerr Foundation Grants
Provides grants in the areas of education, health, cultural development, and community service.
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
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
Rural Profile of Arkansas
Highlights the implications of Arkansas’ growing Hispanic population in some rural and urban regions of the state. Addresses the growing disparity in population and employment growth between rural and urban areas and the associated economic challenges.
Date: 2007
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: 2008
State Profiles - Arkansas: Reforming the Health Care System
Sponsoring organization: AARP Public Policy Institute
Detailed profile of the state's health care system. Covers demographics, expenditures and financing, health status, utilization and quality of services, health care providers, Medicare, Medicaid, health insurance coverage, and key trends.
Date: 12 / 2005
See also: Resources for All States: Documents Success Stories
Rural Health Outreach Program for Children (Mena, Arkansas)
Nine local organizations that offered different types of health and social services agreed to create a consortium to share responsibility for providing a range of services to young parents and expectant mothers.
White River Rural Health Center, Inc.
The objective of this grant application was to identify and provide
effective self-management education to adults with Diabetes, especially the elderly, in the target service
area with the establishment of a “Diabetes Center”.
White River Rural Health Center, Inc. Diabetes Collaborative
The White River Rural Health Center, Inc. Diabetes Collaborative is a self-contained Federally Qualified Community Health Center (FQHC). It provides primary care and management of diabetes and associated conditions.
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