Program Details
Arkansas Flex State Profile
The Technical Assistance and Services Center (TASC), a program of the National Rural Health Resource Center, provides technical assistance for the Rural Hospital Medicare Flexibility (Flex) Program in the form of information, tools and resources. State Flex Programs benefit from sharing information with one another and the Flex State Profiles are meant to be a method to encourage that sharing.
State Contacts
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State Office Director, Arkansas
Flex Coordinator, Arkansas
Program Coordinator, Arkansas
Data Analyst, Arkansas
Survey Results
In each core area, what are the top Flex activities in your state?
Core Area 1: Support for Quality Improvement
- The Arkansas Flex Program conducts quality improvement activities through a collaborative relationship with the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care (AFMC). The Arkansas Flex Program provides funding to the AFMC for training and education to Arkansas’ critical access hospitals (CAHs) for Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS), and other quality and patient safety initiatives.
- The Arkansas Flex Program encourages hospitals to participate in Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) by providing one time assistance of $1,000 to each CAH. This project will be evaluated at the end of the grant year to determine if assistance will be provided in the future.
Core Area 2: Support for Operational and Financial Improvement
- Entered into an agreement with an outside vendor to provide access to market, quality, safety, patient satisfaction and financial performance data to the 29 critical access hospitals (CAHs). The vendor has provided three webinars to review the methodology and results of the reports.
- Provide a 2-day workshop on revenue cycle management.
- Provide updated maps of local market share and service area migration.
Core Area 3: Support for Health System Development and Community Engagement
- Facilitate collaboration among the 29 critical access hospitals (CAHs) to increase community awareness of local hometown health coalitions.
- Provide support to the Arkansas Ambulance Association in providing education to emergency medical services (EMS) Managers and EMS Medical Directors.
Please describe a success story or innovative program from the Flex program in your state:
In Arkansas, as across the nation, critical access hospitals (CAHs) are being asked to do more with less. The Flex Program, the quality improvement organization (QIO) and hospital engagement network (HEN) are working together to develop a “one stop shop”. CAH quality leaders will have the ability to participate in “all teach all learn” environments, share knowledge and develop more action oriented quality programs.
State Contact Details
Julie Hall-Barrow
State Office Director, Arkansas
(501) 280-4563
State Office Director Since 2013
Melissa Turner
Flex Coordinator, Arkansas
(501) 661-2200
Flex Coordinator since 2010
Jacqueline Gorton
Program Coordinator, Arkansas
(501) 661-2494
Flex Coordinator since 2005