Health care is an increasingly difficult landscape to navigate, particularly in rural communities. That is a reality for 1.3 million Arkansans – roughly 45 percent of our population – who live, work and raise families away from urban or suburban communities. Across the country, millions of Americans face similar challenges. 

Our state’s doctors and nurses work tirelessly to provide medical care that saves, prolongs and improves our quality of life, especially for rural residents. The good news is that more help is on the way.

The recent announcement that Arkansas will receive more than $208 million through the Rural Health Transformation Program in 2026 will make a big difference.

This program was established through the Working Families Tax Cuts, legislation I supported and helped pass into law last year. Designed to strengthen rural healthcare systems with a specific focus on outcomes, quality and access, my Republican colleagues and I were pleased to champion this commonsense effort to address the substantial challenges facing patients and providers in rural areas.

The program includes a $50 billion investment in rural health nationwide, and each of the 50 states applied for and will receive funding, underscoring the widespread understanding that rural health care requires sustained and increased attention. Here in The Natural State, under the leadership of Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Arkansas is receiving an outsized funding commitment that places us in the top 20 states nationwide and will be well utilized through a variety of targeted initiatives. 

The Healthy Eating, Active Recreation, and Transformation (HEART) program will improve health outcomes through community-driven approaches that focus on nutrition and physical activity. The Promoting Access, Coordination, and Transformation (PACT) program will use this investment to increase efficiency and data sharing in rural communities to support specialty care. The Recruitment, Innovation, Skills, and Education for Arkansas (RISE AR) program will strengthen our rural medical workforce, and the Telehealth, Health Monitoring, and Response Innovation for Vital Expansion (THRIVE) program will strengthen telehealth services and technology-enabled monitoring, which we know is key to expanding access to quality treatment.

I look forward to seeing these investments support health care delivery, modernize tools and infrastructure, and enhance approaches to sustain health outcomes, in order to make a discernible impact in every corner of the state. 

As a former healthcare provider, I know firsthand how important it is to ensure quality care is available close to home. I have been proud to work across the aisle on solutions that improve the system for both patients and providers. This program is another significant step toward that goal.

Across the nation, more than 66 million Americans reside in areas defined as rural. We must ensure rural communities are thriving, with adequate resources to address all types of needs from maternal and infant health to specialty care, behavioral health and more being an integral part of the formula for success. This monumental investment in rural health will help meet clear needs and transform the way rural Arkansans receive lifesaving care.