A Regional Toolkit for Sustainable Solutions

Building Arkansas's Rural Healthcare Workforce

Evidence-based strategies and proven models to recruit, retain, and develop healthcare professionals in rural Arkansas communities.

Creating a Strong Foundation for Arkansas Healthcare

“Health is wealth”—and preserving wealth requires investment. Arkansans need creative approaches to invest in their health. Building a strong foundation for healthcare will create ripple effects that lift all other sectors across our state.

The challenge is clear: Arkansas faces critical gaps in healthcare access and delivery. With only 9.2 primary care physicians per 10,000 residents and consistent rankings among states with the most significant healthcare access challenges, we must act now.

The solution starts at home. We need healthcare professionals for Arkansans, by Arkansans. The people are here—our focus must be on developing our workforce by investing in what grows naturally in rural Arkansas: rural Arkansans themselves.

About This Toolkit

A Practical Resource for Real Solutions

This toolkit brings together proven practices, successful models, and actionable strategies specifically designed for Arkansas’s rural healthcare landscape. It’s not just another report—it’s a working guide built by and for Arkansas communities.

Designed for Flexibility

Every Arkansas community is unique. This toolkit recognizes that reality. Take what works for your region, adapt strategies to fit your community’s needs, and build on existing strengths. Our built-in assessment tools help you identify the right approach for your specific situation.

Built for Arkansas Leaders

Whether you’re a hospital administrator seeking staffing solutions, an educator developing healthcare pathways, or a community leader working to strengthen local healthcare, this toolkit provides the framework you need.
This resource serves:

  • Hospital administrators and healthcare executives
  • Educational institutions and workforce development boards
  • State and local government officials
  • Chamber of Commerce and economic development organizations
  • Healthcare nonprofits and community groups

Explore the Toolkit

Recruitment

Attract Tomorrow’s Healthcare Heroes

Discover innovative strategies for bringing healthcare talent to rural communities. From high school health academies to targeted admissions programs, learn how to build pipelines that connect local students to healthcare careers in their home communities.

Retention

Keep Great People Doing Great Work

Explore proven methods for creating workplaces where healthcare professionals want to stay. Address the real factors that matter: workplace culture, professional growth, community connection, and sustainable work-life integration.

Training & Development

Grow Careers Close to Home

Access models for continuing education, skills advancement, and career progression that work in rural settings. From mobile training units to innovative partnerships, find approaches that bring opportunity directly to your workforce.

Employee Engagemenbt

Build Thriving Healthcare Teams

Learn how to create organizational cultures that support both professional excellence and personal wellbeing. Discover practical strategies for recognition, team building, and fostering the sense of purpose that drives healthcare professionals.

Your Region, Your Approach

Arkansas’s diversity is our strength. What works in the Delta might differ from solutions in the Ozarks. This toolkit helps you identify and implement strategies that fit your region’s specific needs, resources, and opportunities.

Regional Considerations for:

  • Northwest Arkansas’s growing communities
  • Northeast Arkansas’s agricultural centers
  • Southwest Arkansas’s rural counties
  • Southeast Arkansas’s Delta region

Each area brings unique assets and faces distinct challenges. This toolkit helps you build on strengths while addressing gaps.

Get Started Today

1. Collect

We gather comprehensive insights about your region’s workforce challenges and opportunities through facilitated discussions with local stakeholders and partners.

2. Analyze

Our team evaluates your region’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to develop a customized workforce development plan tailored to your specific needs.

3. Implement

Receive your personalized regional toolkit within 30 days, complete with proven strategies and actionable steps ready to deploy in your community.