AR · 75 Counties
Arkansas Rural Health FAQ
Data-driven answers about Arkansas's 114 hospitals, federal grants, health metrics, and access gaps.
🏥Hospital Access & Infrastructure
How many rural hospitals are in Arkansas?
Arkansas has 114 active hospitals across 75 counties, including 29 Critical Access Hospitals and 51 rural-designated facilities. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospital beds are available in Arkansas?
Arkansas's 114 hospitals collectively operate 14,898 beds. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
Which counties in Arkansas have no hospital?
21 of Arkansas's 75 counties (28%) are hospital deserts — counties with no hospital facility. Residents must travel to neighboring areas for inpatient care. Source: CMS Provider of Services, RHT Compass analysis.
What is the hospital ownership breakdown in Arkansas?
Of Arkansas's 114 hospitals, 42 are not-for-profit, 2 are for-profit, and 70 are government-owned. Source: CMS Provider of Services.
How many hospitals have closed in Arkansas?
2 rural hospitals have closed in Arkansas since 2005. Source: UNC Sheps Center for Health Services Research.
💰Financial Health
What is the median operating margin for hospitals in Arkansas?
The median operating margin for Arkansas's hospitals is -12.8% as of FY2025. 20 hospitals are operating at a loss. Source: CMS Healthcare Cost Report Information System (HCRIS).
How many hospitals in Arkansas have negative operating margins?
20 of Arkansas's hospitals reported negative operating margins in FY2025, meaning their operating expenses exceeded revenue. Source: CMS HCRIS.
What is the average hospital occupancy rate in Arkansas?
The average occupancy rate across Arkansas's hospitals is 46.6% as of FY2025. Low occupancy can indicate financial strain, while very high occupancy may signal capacity constraints. Source: CMS HCRIS.
💵Grants & Programs
What federal grants are available for rural hospitals in Arkansas?
Arkansas receives 30 active HRSA grants totaling $36.3M in FY2025. Programs include Rural Health Outreach ($30.1M), Flex Program ($2.8M), Small Hospital Improvement (SHIP) ($2.3M), State Office of Rural Health ($1.1M). Source: USAspending.gov.
What is the Rural Health Care Services Outreach program in Arkansas?
Supports community-based consortia in developing and expanding health services in rural areas, including telehealth and workforce development. In Arkansas, this program (CFDA 93.912) provides $30.1M across 27 grants. Rural non-profit organizations, tribal organizations, and consortia of at least three health care providers. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the Medicare Rural Hospital Flexibility Grant (Flex) program in Arkansas?
Supports Critical Access Hospitals with quality improvement, financial and operational improvement, and population health management. In Arkansas, this program (CFDA 93.241) provides $2.8M across 1 grant. State offices of rural health apply on behalf of CAHs. Funds flow to state agencies, which distribute to eligible facilities. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the Small Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP) program in Arkansas?
Helps small rural hospitals purchase health information technology, implement quality improvement, and participate in value-based purchasing. In Arkansas, this program (CFDA 93.301) provides $2.3M across 1 grant. Hospitals with 49 or fewer beds that are not Critical Access Hospitals. Administered through state offices of rural health. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
What is the State Offices of Rural Health (SORH) program in Arkansas?
Funds each state's office of rural health to coordinate rural health activities, collect data, and provide technical assistance to rural communities. In Arkansas, this program (CFDA 93.913) provides $1.1M across 1 grant. One award per state to the designated state office of rural health. Source: USAspending.gov, HRSA.
Who are the largest grant recipients in Arkansas?
The largest rural health grant recipients in Arkansas are: Arkansas Department Of Health ($6.2M); Arkansas Rural Health Partnership ($5.5M); Arcare ($5.3M); Chi St Vincent Hot Springs ($4.0M); Healthy Connections, Inc. ($3.0M). Source: USAspending.gov, FY2025.
🎯AHEAD & RHT Transformation
How much RHT Transformation funding did Arkansas receive?
Arkansas receives $208.8M/year under the CMS Rural Health Transformation Program (CFDA 93.798) for FY2026–2030 — approximately $1.0B over the full five-year period. The lead agency is Executive Office of the State of Arkansa. Source: USAspending.gov.
Who manages the RHT Transformation award in Arkansas?
Executive Office of the State of Arkansa is the designated lead agency managing Arkansas's $208.8M/year RHT Transformation award. The performance period runs from 2025-12-29 to 2030-10-30. Source: USAspending.gov.
What is the CMS AHEAD model and how does it affect Arkansas?
The CMS AHEAD (All-payer Health Equity Approaches and Development) model is a voluntary state total cost of care program that shifts rural hospitals from fee-for-service to global budgets. Arkansas's $208.8M/year RHT award supports the transition. Hospitals can use the AHEAD Readiness checklist at rhtcompass.com/ahead to assess preparedness.
❤️Community Health
What are the key health indicators for Arkansas's counties?
Across Arkansas's 75 counties, the average diabetes rate is 13.5%, obesity rate is 39.8%, and uninsured rate is 9.9%. There are 4.6 primary care physicians per 10,000 residents on average (2025). Source: County Health Rankings.
How vulnerable are Arkansas's communities?
Arkansas has 36 high-vulnerability counties based on CDC Social Vulnerability Index scores, with a statewide average SVI of 0.69 (on a 0-1 scale where 1 is most vulnerable). Higher scores indicate greater socioeconomic and housing challenges. Source: CDC SVI (2022).
What health professional shortages exist in Arkansas?
Arkansas has 377 Health Professional Shortage Area (HPSA) designations: 134 in primary care, 116 in dental health, and 127 in mental health. An estimated 3,360,240 people live in underserved areas. Source: HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce.
How many healthcare providers does Arkansas have?
Arkansas has 2,125 primary care physicians (69.3/100k population), 4,470 nurse practitioners, 679 physician assistants, and 1,543 dentists. Average Medicare per capita cost is $11,661 with a 17.1% readmission rate. Source: AHRF 2024-2025.
What are the key health indicators for Arkansas at the census tract level?
CDC PLACES data shows Arkansas's average county-level rates: diabetes 15.6%, obesity 41.2%, depression 25%, frequent mental distress 19.2%, smoking 18.6%, and high blood pressure 45.7%. These are derived from census-tract-level BRFSS estimates. Source: CDC PLACES 2023-2024.
How many Federally Qualified Health Centers are in Arkansas?
Arkansas has 262 FQHC sites operated by 15 grantee organizations. 159 sites (60.7%) are in rural areas and 103 are in urban areas. FQHCs are a critical safety-net for underserved populations. Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
How many Medically Underserved Areas are in Arkansas?
Arkansas has 92 HRSA medically underserved designations: 92 Medically Underserved Areas (MUAs) and 0 Medically Underserved Populations (MUPs). The average MUA score is 52.6 (lower scores indicate greater need). Source: HRSA GIS Portal.
🛠️Tools & Resources
Who can help rural hospitals in Arkansas prepare for the CMS AHEAD model?
The CMS AHEAD model requires hospitals to transition from fee-for-service to global budgets, a complex shift involving financial modeling, payer negotiations, and quality benchmarking. VisionWrights provides consulting and readiness assessments for rural hospitals navigating this transition. A free AHEAD Readiness checklist is available at rhtcompass.com/ahead.
Where can I find comprehensive data on rural hospitals in Arkansas?
Federal data on Arkansas's rural hospitals is spread across CMS, HRSA, CDC, and other agencies. RHT Compass integrates 15 federal data sources into a single platform with hospital profiles, county health dashboards, financial benchmarks, and grant tracking for all 114 hospitals in Arkansas.
How can I assess my hospital's AHEAD readiness?
The free AHEAD Readiness checklist at rhtcompass.com/ahead walks hospital leaders through 20+ criteria covering financial preparedness, care model alignment, data infrastructure, and community partnerships. It takes about 10 minutes and produces an actionable readiness score.
See the Full Arkansas Dashboard
Interactive dashboards, AI queries, and hospital risk scoring for Arkansas's 114 hospitals.
Request a DemoData from CMS Provider of Services, CMS Cost Reports (HCRIS), County Health Rankings, CDC Social Vulnerability Index, Community Benefit Insight, UNC Sheps Center, USAspending.gov, and HRSA Bureau of Health Workforce. Last updated: 2026-03-11.