Report: 37% of Arkansas Adults Obese
A new report finds that 37.4% of adult Arkansans are obese, with Arkansas and Iowa tied for the 12th-highest adult obesity rate among the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
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Regional View: Northwest Arkansas
The healthcare landscape in Northwest Arkansas is evolving at a rapid pace. Population growth and increasing demand for care are creating unique opportunities for expansion and innovation in the health sector. ACHI continues to transform health data into actionable solutions for decision makers, providing insights on this fast-growing region.
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.
Rural Health Insights
Arkansas is a largely rural state by any measure. Over the last decade, rural areas in Arkansas have experienced dramatic out-migration, particularly of younger populations. This trend is leaving rural areas with older populations facing high health-risk burdens, low median family income, limited provider capacity, and a deteriorating acute care safety net. This page serves to provide information about the rural health landscape in our state.
DR. TOM BRUCE ARKANSAS HEALTH IMPACT AWARD
ACHI’s Health Policy Board established the Dr. Tom Bruce Arkansas Health Impact Award in honor of the late Dr. Tom Bruce, a national leader in community health and a champion of rural health and health system improvement in Arkansas. The annual award honors an individual – or individuals – who embodies Dr. Bruce’s lifetime of service by demonstrating courageous leadership and a sustained record of being a catalyst for improving the health of all Arkansans, and who exemplifies ACHI’s core values of trust, commitment, innovation, and initiative.
BMI School and District Level Dashboard
The statewide analysis of BMI data collected in Arkansas’s public schools includes overall childhood obesity trends in Arkansas including weight classification percentages by school district, school, and grade. In addition to the statewide report, school and district-level aggregate data is available and may be used in the preparation of grant applications and other funding requests to secure support for a variety of interventions.
Colorectal Cancer in Arkansas
ACHI and Fight Colorectal Cancer partnered to develop a report assessing the prevalence of colorectal cancer screening in Arkansas and identifying gaps in access to screening. The report is accompanied by an infographic providing context about the findings as well as an analytical blueprint for other states to execute similar analyses. We hope that the findings in the report and the accompanying documents are useful tools in advancing policy change to help increase access to life-saving colorectal cancer screening in our state and the country.
Dr. G. Richard Smith Fellowship
In 2022, ACHI established the G. Richard Smith, MD, Fellowship in Health Services and Policy Research. The one-year fellowship honors Dr. Smith, the founding director of the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement (ACHI) and a major contributor to the health of Arkansans through patient care, service at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, and his impact on the health and healthcare systems of the state.
Inspiring Healthy Acts
Our actions today determine the health of tomorrow. To establish a clear direction toward a healthier future, we convert information into knowledge and insight for everyday decision makers and institutional influencers.
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