By Tess Vrbin, published in the Arkansas Advocate Jan. 16
Arkansas was among the 10 states with the most children in rural areas relying on Medicaid for health insurance in 2023, and was one of only six with more than half of its rural children on Medicaid, according to a report released Wednesday by the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy.
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health will host Antonia Novello, MD, DrPH, former United States surgeon general, for a grand rounds panel discussion on public service.
The event will take place Jan. 24 at noon in the Jack T. Stephens Spine and Neurosciences Institute Fred Smith Auditorium on the UAMS Little Rock campus. The free event is open to the public.
January is Cervical Health Awareness Month. The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) BreastCare program coordinates efforts with a statewide network of providers offering no-cost cervical and breast cancer screenings and follow-up services.
Arkansas has been awarded a $17 million grant, the Transforming Maternal Health (TMaH) Model, from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Applying for the TMaH grant was among the recommendations made by the Strategic Committee for Maternal Health established by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ executive order last year, and the funds will support key efforts to improve the health of pregnant women, new mothers, and babies, the Arkansas Department of Human Services (DHS) announced.
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Institute for Community Health Innovation will train 80 doulas over the next year through a comprehensive program administered by the institute and other partners, including Ujima Maternity Network and Birthing Beyond.
The program is available to individuals throughout Arkansas through a scholarship that covers the full cost of the training, which is spread across six months.
