HJAR Sep/Oct 2025

to those patients, however, at a loss of over $2 million. I expect this latest round of work requirements will create further financial pressures for hospitals to absorb. I will personally continue to push for improvement with healthcare reimburse- ment forArkansas hospitals with efforts like the recent HB1930 bill that narrowly failed on the House floor. All of our hospitals will continue to educate and push for our state’s policymakers to support reasonable legis- lation to ensure healthcare is here for the next generation. Editor We understand Jefferson Regional has done important work in the area of addiction and behavioral health. What does that look like today? Are you seeing changes in the scope or nature of addiction in your community? Thomas Behavioral health continues to be a growing concern across the country, and certainly here in Arkansas. In 2024, Jef- ferson Regional constructed a freestand- ing behavioral health hospital that has expanded our bed capacity from 18 inpa- tient psychiatric beds to 36 beds, including gero-pysch beds — a service not previously available in southeast Arkansas. Editor As a regional safety net hospital, how do you balance the need to grow and invest with the financial realities of serving a rural, often underinsured population? Thomas Like most hospitals, our mission to our community and to this region of the state will always influence how we balance this equation. Looking back at our growth trends over the past several years, we are proud of some of our accomplishments. Besides the opening of the specialty hos- pital for behavioral health and rehabilita- tion, expanding various product lines, such as cardiology, urology, and general sur- gery, have proven to be beneficial to both our mission and our bottom line. With that said, the economic realities of Arkansas healthcare are certainly beginning to impact and drive decisions for service lines. Editor What’s next in terms of growth, partnerships, or innovation for Jefferson Regional? Thomas The development of our specialty hospital to bring expansion for both inpa- tient rehabilitation and behavioral health service lines has been a great example of using partnerships to grow programs that required a significant capital investment for the market. This project has certainly been a significant milestone for Jefferson Region- al’s growth in southeast Arkansas. Undoubtedly, Arkansas has lagged behind other states when it comes to partnering and consolidating our health systems. In my opinion, that fact has likely held us back in terms of reimbursement rates from our commercial payors. Tomorrow’s healthcare model will cer- tainly require more affiliation in order to continue to meet the needs of Arkansas’ healthcare markets. Arkansas Rural Health Partnership (ARHP) is a vital collaboration improving healthcare in rural areas. As the current board president, I’ve seen firsthand how their initiatives enable rural hospitals to create, implement, and maintain programs that significantly enhance health outcomes in these communities. Editor What would you most want policymakers in Little Rock — and Washington — to understand about the needs of hospitals like yours? Thomas It’s fair to say that most of our policymakers are very familiar with the fun- damental challenge that Arkansas hospitals face, particularly in terms of reimbursement deficiencies. However, we cannot let up on pushing for improvements with policies that can enhance our hospitals’ long-term stability. I’m frequently reminded how every other free-market business in our state can compete — meet the demand for services as well as set their prices accordingly — except for hospitals. We are one of the few industries that provide an anchor for health, safety, and well-being for our communities, yet we no longer have a sustainable busi- ness model. Although healthcare is essentially avail- able to anyone who enters our emergency departments, these services are certainly not free. Any policy aimed at reducing cov- erage (work requirements, etc.) has a direct negative impact on the hospitals that pro- vide such services. Remember, just a few years ago during the pandemic, our state was supportive of its hospitals — offering financial incentives to create more available patient beds and expanded ICU capacity. People were hold- ing prayer vigils in the parking lots across Arkansas to support their community hospitals. Hospitals are the very backbone of health and well-being, and we need a renewed focus on how valuable these organizations are for the state of Arkansas. We cannot continue to prop up services using our bal- ance sheets. Editor Is there a story or moment — big or small — that makes you particularly proud to be doing this work? Thomas As tough as this business has become, it is rewarding to work with a team that produces results that compete with the more successful hospitals in the state. Our patient satisfaction scores are achieving levels as high, or higher, than most central Arkansas hospitals. Our employee engage- ment scores are pushing the 80th percentile nationwide, and our physician engagement scores are near the 70th percentile. The team we have built continues to impress me with their focus and resilience in arguably one of the more challenging markets in the state. Editor Looking ahead, what are your top priorities for Jefferson Regional over the next five to 10 years? HEALTHCARE JOURNAL OF ARKANSAS I  SEP / OCT 2025 11