WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) secured Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s commitment to help strengthen cancer treatment and research in Arkansas as well as ensure rural communities maintain access to health care amid challenges with declining populations.

Boozman questioned Kennedy at a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on the department’s efforts to prioritize investment in prevention, screening and infrastructure, particularly in rural regions, to improve cancer outcomes. 

“Early detection through screening of cancer is critical to improving outcomes and reducing long-term healthcare costs,” Boozman said. “National Cancer Institutes deliver cutting-edge cancer treatments to patients in communities across the United States and provide public education and outreach programs. Yet there are currently no NCI-Designated Cancer Centers in Arkansas, Mississippi, or Louisiana—states with some of the highest cancer mortality rates in the country.” 

“I am aware of the application by the University of Arkansas [for Medical Sciences for] NCI designation, and I’m very anxious to help you with that,” Kennedy answered.

The senator, who also serves as Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, additionally raised his concerns about the struggles farmers – and the rural communities they reside in – have with health care access, including provider shortages and transportation barriers. 

“Nearly half of Arkansas’s counties lost population between 2022 and 2023. Providers in rural communities struggle to keep the doors open, leading to gaps in care. How can we partner to develop sustainable health infrastructure that ensures that federal policies help attract and retain providers in health care deserts?” Boozman asked. 

“I understand we’ve got to keep those institutions in those regions. They’re important economic drivers. And for people who need to visit an urgent care or an emergency room, they’re life-saving. I want to work with you to make sure that the 60 million Americans who live in rural areas, to keep them in those areas and healthy,” Kennedy responded.