Rural Health Transformation
Healthy. Connected. Local.
The State of Arkansas has designed a Rural Health Transformation Program (RHT Program) to support a strong, connected rural health system where families can get the care they need close to home. Our RHT Program focuses on practical solutions that strengthen local communities, support rural providers, and use targeted investments in technology and partnerships to improve health outcomes through preventive care and healthier lifestyles.
HEART
Healthy Eating, Active Recreation, & Transformation
RISE Arkansas
Recruitment, Innovation, Skills, and Education for Arkansas Healthcare
PACT
Promoting Access, Coordination, and Transformation
THRIVE
Telehealth, Health-monitoring, and Response Innovation for Vital Expansion
Projected Initiative Rollout Timeline
| Initiative | NOFO Release | Application Window |
|---|---|---|
| THRIVE | Released | May 11 - June 12 |
| PACT | June 1 | June 8 - July 10 |
| RISE | June 15 | June 22 - July 24 |
| HEART | June 22 | June 29 - July 31 |
Arkansas Rural Health Transformation
Together by the Numbers
Rural Arkansas faces major challenges across demography, health outcomes, healthcare access, and facility sustainability, all of which the Rural Health Transformation Program seeks to address. The following provides a detailed overview of the current rural health landscape in Arkansas.
1.3
Million Rural Residents
45%
of Arkansas is Rural Area
$50,210
Median Rural Household Income
Rural Facility Financial Health
- Target Populations and Geographic Focus
Arkansas’s RHT plan targets:
- Rural residents in high-need counties, particularly in the Delta, Ozarks, and southwest regions, where hospital vulnerability, poverty, and chronic disease rates are highest.
- All rural hospitals, rural health clinics (RHCs), federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), and behavioral health or community health organizations operating in rural-designated census tracts statewide.