Arkansas Rural Health Transformation Program Awards UAMS Nearly $12 Million to Fund 4 Initiatives

August 27, 2026 - 19:58

LITTLE ROCK - The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences has secured close to $12 million in new state funding to launch four major projects aimed at improving health care in rural communities. The money comes through the Arkansas Rural Health Transformation Program, which includes the THRIVE and PACT initiatives.

The four projects will focus on areas where rural patients often struggle to get care. One initiative will expand mental health services by embedding counselors into primary care clinics. Another will set up a mobile health unit to bring screenings and basic treatment to towns that have lost their local clinics. A third project will train community health workers to help patients manage chronic conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure, reducing the need for emergency room visits. The fourth will use telehealth technology to connect rural emergency rooms with specialists in Little Rock for faster stroke and heart attack care.

UAMS leaders say the funding will also support workforce development, helping to train more nurses and nurse practitioners who commit to working in rural areas. The program is designed to keep care close to home, rather than forcing patients to travel long distances for basic services.

The grants will be distributed over the next several years, with the first projects expected to start within months. State officials say the program is part of a broader push to close the health gap between urban and rural Arkansas, where hospital closures and provider shortages have made access increasingly difficult.