Arkansas Center for Health Improvement
Hope, Arkansas, is a cautionary tale of what can go wrong when private equity groups take over local hospitals. It’s also a story of what a community can achieve when it comes together. In this episode of the Wonks at Work podcast, we speak with Clay Hobbs of Pafford Medical Services.
publications
Our new explainer looks at Medicare Advantage, a program that is seeing increasing enrollment in Arkansas but is also raising questions about its impacts.
A look at the benefits and challenges associated with prescription discount cards.
This explainer examines how immunizations provide immunity against disease, the different types of vaccines, standards used to determine vaccine safety and effectiveness, and immunization recommendations.
Blog Posts
A bill that aims to ensure services provided at Arkansas crisis stabilization units are covered by insurance plans was among the measures signed into law during the 2025 legislative session.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recently recommended that primary care providers offer interventions or referrals to support breastfeeding.
On April 7, the Trump administration finalized a 5.1% rate increase for Medicare Advantage plans for the 2026 calendar year, a significantly higher increase than the 2.2% boost proposed by the Biden administration.
Podcast by ACHI
In Arkansas and around the country, private equity groups have a growing financial interest in health care. While private equity investment can revive struggling hospitals or reinvigorate stagnant ones, critics accuse some of loading hospitals with debt, stripping their assets, and leaving communities to deal with the aftermath. That’s what happened in Hope, Arkansas, last year when the owner of Wadley Regional Medical Center, Dallas-based Steward Healthcare Group, declared bankruptcy. The hospital was immediately at risk of closing, but fortunately there were leaders in the community who would not let that happen. In this episode of the Wonks at Work podcast, we learn more about this cautionary tale from Clay Hobbs, chief operating officer of Pafford Medical Services, which partnered with the community to save their local hospital.
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
ACHI is dedicated to its vision of a healthier future, championing solutions that empower everyday decision makers to promote healthy choices in Arkansas communities, homes, and institutions. Subscribe for regular updates.
Healthy Choices
Ideas and strategies affecting lifestyles, decisions, and outcomes.
Healthy Communities
Culturally informed solutions and accessible opportunities.
Healthy systems
Quality care, equitable practices, and affordable methods.
Health Policy Board Policy Positions and Statements
ACHI’s Health Policy Board consists of 21 voting members (and two ex-officio members) from across the state who bring diverse perspectives and interests on health. This independent, self-perpetuating board identifies and establishes strategic priorities, provides direction and guidance, and serves as a forum for the exchange of ideas. The Health Policy Board guides ACHI’s involvement in and position on specific policy matters, and it issues position statements that articulate the health needs of Arkansans.