Arkansas Center for Health Improvement
With extreme heat again in the forecast this summer, a reminder of the risks to children is in order, particularly the dangers of leaving children unattended in hot vehicles.
publications
This explainer provides an overview of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), examining its history, participation rates, purchasing patterns, program waivers, and how the federal budget reconciliation bill signed into law in July 2025 may affect the program and its role in addressing food insecurity and nutritional needs in Arkansas.
This infographic examines cesarean birth rates in Arkansas from 2021 to 2023 and shows that mothers in some parts of the state had the procedure at much higher rates than mothers in other parts of the state, especially among first-birth mothers.
Closures of labor and delivery services at Arkansas hospitals in recent years have led to longer travel times for many Arkansas mothers. Longer travel times to delivery facilities have been associated with higher risks of adverse maternal and neonatal outcomes. Our updated infographic examines Arkansas mothers’ travel times to delivery facilities.
Blog Posts
With extreme heat again in the forecast this summer, a reminder of the risks to children is in order, particularly the dangers of leaving children unattended in hot vehicles.
Pre-pregnancy obesity and severe obesity in first-time mothers can be predicted with a high degree of accuracy based on the mothers’ weight status in adolescence, according to a new study by ACHI researchers.
Ben E. Owens Sr., a lifelong healthcare and community leader in Northeast Arkansas, died Saturday, June 27, at age 92, but his enormous impact on health care in Arkansas lives on.
Maternal and infant mortality rates in Arkansas are among the highest in the nation, but a wide range of efforts are underway to change that. The Healthy Birthing Journey Podcast is a nine-part series in which we explore the data and issues behind maternal and infant health in Arkansas by speaking with the people working to improve outcomes for moms and babies across our state.
Each episode focuses on one of nine points on the birthing journey, from pre-pregnancy through delivery and into the postpartum period, where ACHI analysts and researchers have identified opportunities for Arkansas to make lasting improvements.
In the ninth and final episode of the Healthy Birthing Journey Podcast, we explore well-child visits and other efforts to improve infant health outcomes during the first year of life.
Podcast by ACHI
Data can be a powerful component in strategies to improve public health and healthcare outcomes. Research, quality improvement activities, and program development and evaluation all require reliable data infrastructure. That’s why, more than a decade ago, our state established the Arkansas Healthcare Transparency Initiative, which includes an all-payer claims database, or APCD. To learn more about the role of APCDs and similar efforts underway around the country, we are joined on this episode of the Wonks at Work podcast by Kevin McAvey, managing director of Manatt Health in New York and a recognized expert on state data assets.
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Health Policy Board Policy Positions and Statements
ACHI’s Health Policy Board consists of 21 voting members (and two ex-officio members) from across the state who bring diverse perspectives and interests on health. This independent, self-perpetuating board identifies and establishes strategic priorities, provides direction and guidance, and serves as a forum for the exchange of ideas. The Health Policy Board guides ACHI’s involvement in and position on specific policy matters, and it issues position statements that articulate the health needs of Arkansans.