Wonks at Work

One of the best strategies for improving health outcomes involves prevention and addressing health issues before they escalate into a costly hospital stay, chronic condition, or something worse. Achieving that level of...

Limited access to nutritious food can undermine patient treatment and recovery. That’s especially true for the often long and arduous recovery many cancer patients face. Vulnerable populations who struggle with social...

The research that helps drive health improvement and strong policy advancements in Arkansas doesn’t take place in a vacuum. It needs people committed to that work, the resources to fuel it, and the infrastructure to...

Helping a community heal is hard work. That’s especially true when lives and families are disrupted by incarceration, dependency, the need for child welfare interventions, or other crises. Fortunately, there are people...

The Climb: Kira Kennedy by ACHI

Youth substance abuse and addiction remain serious concerns for parents and communities here in Arkansas and around the country. There is, however, some evidence suggesting that substance use behaviors among youth have...

Twenty-five years ago, with billions of dollars set to begin flowing to states as part of a long-term settlement agreement with U.S. tobacco companies, Arkansas bucked a trend. While many states were poised to commit...

The growing need for mental health resources and support, both here in Arkansas and across the country, is complicated by the limited numbers of mental health professionals and other barriers to care, particularly in...

Obesity is a serious and costly chronic disease that has been widely recognized as a public health epidemic. Although there are accessible, affordable, and straightforward tools to address it in individuals and broader...

A visit to the dentist is about more than clean teeth; it’s about whole health and wellness. Arkansas ranks poorly in oral health and has one of the lowest utilization rates for dental services in the country, but there...

Changes are on the way for community health workers in Arkansas. Earlier this year, the Arkansas General Assembly approved the Community Health Worker Act, which will establish standardized training and a statewide...

Many roadway safety initiatives depend on the notion that safe driving is a learned behavior, but it is clear that many of us still have a lot to learn. In Arkansas, about 65 pedestrians die in roadway accidents...

Food insecurity — limited or uncertain access to food — is a significant challenge for our state, impacting nearly 1 in 5 Arkansans. That includes 1 in 4 children. However, not all Arkansas households that are impacted...

Cycling enthusiasm in Northwest Arkansas is not limited to mountain bike trails and long gravel rides through the Ozarks. Regional leaders envision 1,800 miles of shared-use and bicycle paths connecting communities...

Arkansas is aging. By 2030, about 1 in 5 Arkansans will be 65 or older. Twenty years ago, that age group made up 14% of the state’s population. An aging populace requires an infrastructure that can accommodate increased...