Arkansas’s rural communities face many challenges. Communities are shrinking due to out-migration, rural hospitals are under financial strain, and the state’s rural residents are, on average, older, poorer, and less healthy than their urban counterparts. Primary care physicians are also far less plentiful in rural areas, making the role of the family doctor even more important. In this episode of the Wonks at Work podcast, we speak with Dr. Sam Taggart, a retired family medicine physician and author of several books about the medical profession in Arkansas. His latest book is “For Every Family, a Family Doctor,” which explores the history of family medicine in our state.

There is growing concern about the role social media plays in the mental health and development of young people. Arkansas’s governor, multiple other states, Congress, and the courts are all delving into this issue. The U.S. surgeon general has even called for warning labels on social media platforms. As those efforts move forward, it falls upon parents, families, educators, and others in the community to support our children as they navigate these new technologies. On this episode of the Wonks at Work podcast, we learn more about the impact of social media on Arkansas youth with Dr. Tiffany Howell, a pediatric psychologist at Arkansas Children's Hospital.

There are numerous risks along the birthing journey that contribute to poor outcomes for Arkansas moms and babies. One effective practice for promoting healthy outcomes for babies is breastfeeding, which supports their immune systems and cognitive development. Unfortunately, breastfeeding is not an option for some mothers. To learn more about a new alternative available in Arkansas to those mothers and their families, we’re joined on this episode of the Wonks at Work podcast by Tyler Faircloth, program director for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Milk Bank.

Hundreds of cities in nearly every U.S. state are on track for one of their 10 warmest summers on record. Besides posing immediate risk for illnesses such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke, extreme heat can create cumulative stress on the human body over prolonged periods. Heat can also impact us in less obvious ways, such as worsening health risks from chronic conditions due to stress on the heart and kidneys or degrading the effectiveness of certain medications. In this episode of the Wonks at Work podcast, we’re joined by KARK Channel 4 Chief Meteorologist Todd Yakoubian for some special insight into the hot and humid days of summer in Arkansas.

Maintaining one's health is challenging for those whose basic needs such as housing and food are unmet. A new effort in Central Arkansas, Providence Park, seeks to address the needs of people who are chronically unhoused, offering permanent housing and wrap-around services including healthcare for those in need. Host Craig Wilson talks to Providence Park CEO Errin Stanger about the inspiration for this project and what led her to this work.

Maternal health has finally risen to the forefront of policy conversations in Arkansas, driven by the startling statistic that our state has the highest maternal mortality rate in the nation. Improving maternal health outcomes should be reason enough for policymakers to invest in positive change, but sometimes it helps to outline the economic benefits of such investments as well. In this episode of the Wonks at Work podcast, we’re joined by Dr. Maria Rodriguez-Alcala, director for health and wellness at Northwest Arkansas-based Heartland Forward, to discuss the nonpartisan think tank ’s report, The Economic Case for Investing in Maternal Health.