Arkansas Center for Health Improvement

07/23/2026

Congratulations to Michelle Kitchens, ACHI's director of governmental affairs and community outreach, on completing her term as board president of the Arkansas Society of Association Executives. We are proud to have her on our leadership team!

What to say about Michelle Kitchens...so many wonderful things.

THANK YOU for an outstanding year of service as President of the Arkansas Society of Association Executives.

Michelle has been a rock for our organization, leading with wisdom, grace and thoughtful insight through every opportunity and challenge. Her leadership has strengthened our board, supported our members and helped move ASAE forward in meaningful ways.

We are deeply grateful for the time, heart and dedication she has given this past year. Thankfully, this isn't goodbye. We're fortunate that Michelle will continue to serve on the board as Immediate Past President, and we know our organization will continue to benefit from her experience and guidance.

Thank you, Michelle, for leading with purpose and serving with such a generous heart.

07/22/2026

The 20th anniversary of the Arkansas Clean Indoor Air Act, which bans smoking in most public places, was celebrated Tuesday with an event at the State Capitol. Among the speakers were ACHI President and CEO Craig Wilson; Rep. Tracy Steele, who sponsored the legislation as a state senator; and 9-year-old Ivy Blaze Wicker, who expressed thanks for the law. The event also included the reading of a proclamation marking the anniversary from Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, whose father, Gov. Mike Huckabee, signed the law.

Wilson said in his remarks, "As we look to the future, let’s remember how far we’ve come and how public health wins can be achieved through partnership, smart and comprehensive policy, and dedication from champions like you all and those who will continue to stand beside you at the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement."

American Heart Association
Arkansas Department of Health
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff

07/08/2026

We celebrated Kenley Money upon her retirement last week after overseeing ACHI's healthcare data infrastructure for the past 16 years. Thank you for your dedication to improving healthcare transparency and public health in Arkansas, Kenley. Enjoy your next chapter!

07/07/2026

We are excited to announce that David Sanders has been named ACHI's director of information systems architecture. In this role, Sanders will oversee the team managing the Arkansas Healthcare Transparency Initiative’s All-Payer Claims Database, a large-scale repository of health data that supports analysis, research, and health policy development efforts aimed at improving the health of Arkansans. See our news release: https://lnkd.in/gMDQbcjb

07/01/2026

We pay tribute on our blog to Ben E. Owens Sr., who died Saturday at age 92. Owens, who headed St. Bernards Healthcare for nearly four decades, was honored by the ACHI Health Policy Board in 2018 with the Dr. Tom Bruce Arkansas Health Impact Award.

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.

07/01/2026

We extend our condolences to the family and friends of Ben Owens Sr., who died Saturday at age 92. Owens was a healthcare leader in Arkansas for more than half a century, with nearly 40 of those years spent heading St. Bernards Healthcare. You can read his obituary here: https://lnkd.in/gNx2N6h2

The ACHI Health Policy Board honored Owens in 2018 with the Dr. Tom Bruce Arkansas Health Impact Award in recognition of his outstanding work to improve the health of Arkansans.

06/15/2026

We explore the role of well-child visits and other efforts to improve infant health outcomes in Arkansas in episode nine of the Healthy Birthing Journey Podcast. Thanks to guests:
→Dr. Natalie Burr of the Little Rock Pediatric Clinic
→Anna Strong with the Arkansas Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics
→Ashley Bearden Campbell with Arkansans for Improving Maternal Health
→Cara Osborne on behalf of Ingeborg Initiatives and Healthy Moms Healthy Babies America

Listen here: https://achi.net/birthingjourney/well-child-visits/

06/08/2026

In the eighth episode of our Healthy Birthing Journey Podcast, we explore the role of postpartum care in improving maternal and infant health outcomes for new moms in Arkansas. Host Sandra McGrew speaks with:
→ Nirvana Manning of the Arkansas Center for Women and Infants' Health at UAMS - University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
→ Liyah Marie Wasson of the Doula Alliance of Arkansas.
→ Craig Wilson of the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement.

Listen here: https://achi.net/birthingjourney/postpartum-visits/

06/05/2026

Arkansas' healthcare workforce, medical residency slots, and preventive medicine. ACHI's Craig Wilson sits down with Dr. Bala Simon in the latest Wonks at Work podcast to discuss the new Dr. Joseph H. Bates Preventive Medicine Program at UAMS - University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

Listen here: https://achi.net/wonksatwork/bala-simon/

05/28/2026

We were honored to welcome Dr. Jefferson onto our Healthy Birthing Journey Podcast to discuss mental health treatment options and other resources for moms.

Becoming a mom is one of the most significant transitions a woman can experience, and for many, it comes with mental health challenges that go unrecognized and untreated.

Dr. Erin Jefferson from PRI's Women's Mental Health UAMS Northwest Regional Campus - Fayetteville Program recently joined the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement Healthy Birthing Journey Podcast to discuss exactly that. In Episode 6, she talks through the importance of depression screening during pregnancy and the postpartum period, what treatment options look like, and where Arkansas moms can turn for support.

🎧 Listen on Apple, Spotify, or here: https://achi.net/birthingjourney/depression-screening/
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