LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — On Wednesday, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the Arkansas Department of Human Services, and the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration announced that there will be more than $9 million in funding that will go towards helping the long-term sustainability of hospitals in rural Arkansas.
“Rural healthcare is changing, and I’m proud to support these hospitals as they pursue meaningful, lasting change to ensure Arkansans have access to quality, affordable care," said Governor Sanders.
The Rural Hospital Sustainability Program was designed to help serve patients, strengthen rural communities, preserve access to healthcare, and to promote economic development.
There are five hospitals in rural Arkansas set to receive their six-month funding allocations this week.
Those hospitals are:
- Arkansas Methodist Medical Center - $1,320,542
- Baxter Regional Medical Center - $1,835,647
- Eureka Springs Hospital - $2,294,559
- Fulton County Hospital - $2,500,000
- Howard Memorial Hospital - $1,376,735
“Rural hospitals play a pivotal role in caring for Arkansans across our state, and we are proud of the work that has gone into providing funds to help steady the financial situations of these critical facilities,” said Arkansas Department of Human Services Secretary Kristi Putnam. “This process took into account the unique situation of each participating hospital, and resulted in sustainability plans that will help ensure these facilities are effectively and efficiently serving patients in their communities well into the future.”
To be considered for funding, hospitals will be required to follow certain criteria:
- Select one of two hospital sustainability plan tracks
- Develop a remediation plan with clearly defined benchmarks
- Not use funds for legal fees, debt services, tax obligations, pension funding, or court settlement payments.
A spokesperson with the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Jim Hudson, explained that through this funding, rural hospitals will be able to better improve their day-to-day operations which will in turn result in sustainable care for people across Arkansas.
“We can already see the positive impact of this funding six months into the program. The program’s success is the result of collaborative work between the Governor’s Office, General Assembly, DHS, and DFA, and of course the hospitals," he added.
