Community Health
Stories, ideas, and information from the Arkansas Primary Care Association.
May 2026
Healthy Connections Celebrates Ribbon Cutting in Texarkana
Congratulations to Healthy Connections Community Health Network on the ribbon cutting of their Texarkana location on April 23! The milestone marks an exciting new chapter for the community health center and the patients it serves in theTexarkana area.
Jeffrey Slatton spoke to the crowd about the extensive work done to transform the pre-existing building into a welcoming, modern care facility with even more improvements planned for the future "Our providers do an awesome job inTexarkana," Slatton said.
CEO Tony Calandro echoed that enthusiasm, noting that patients have responded warmly to having a Texarkana location and that the clinic has already seen strong growth For Calandro, the new location is a reflection of what makes Healthy Connections and all federally qualified health centers distinct: the ability to serve everyone, regardless of their insurance situation.
"Our staff really comes together to help the patients," Calandro said "They'll go out of their way to figure out the best way to take care of their patients, not just here, but at all our health centers "
Patient Retention TASession Recap
Community health center staff from acrossArkansas gathered onThursday,April 16 at the CHCA Innovation Center in North Little Rock for Stay Connected: Enhancing Patient Retention, a full-day technical assistance session focused on engaging with patients, facilitated by CHCA’s Kevin Holmes.
"I feel like we all need a little bit of education to remember what we're here for and that’s the patient,” said Stacy Boardman, Quality Coordinator and HIV Coordinator at Mainline Health Systems' Star City clinic "We learned about interactions with our patients, how to retain them from the beginning, like when they first walk in, to make them feel comfortable and show them that we're there to care for them."
Attendees watched videos that prompted honest reflection on where gaps exist and what small changes could make a meaningful difference.
Angie Walker, Office Administrator for Dr. Randy Walker in De Queen, Arkansas, challenged attendees to carry the work beyond the training room
"At a time of uncertainty, certainly on the medical side, but absolutely on the patient side, they need a fierce advocate," Walker told the group "And that advocacy starts in your clinical office My hope is that we rejuvenate and encourage folks to be the best patient advocates.”
For more information about upcoming CHCAtechnical assistance sessions, visit chc-ar.org.
Stacy Boardman
CommunityHealthCentersofArkansaswasproudtoparticipateinthe9thBiennialMinorityHealthSummiton Friday,April17.Thisyear'sthemewasABridgetoCare:AMultidisciplinaryApproachtoHeartHealthinMinority Arkansans.Itsetthetoneforadayofpowerfulconversations,boldcommitments,andarenewedfocusonhealth equityacrossthestate
ArchitectsofaHealthierHeart
CHCACEODr.LanitaWhitejoinedDr.LowryBarnes,TroyWells,NikkiSmith,andDr.BruceMurphyonapanel titledArchitectsofaHealthierHeart:BlueprintstoMultidisciplinaryExcellence ThepanelexploredhowcrosssectorcollaborationisessentialtomeaningfulprogressincardiovascularhealthoutcomesforminorityArkansans
FoodasMedicine
JoshuaHarris,executivedirectorandfounderofWellFed,offeredoneoftheday'smostmemorableframings:"The kitchenisthemostpowerfulpharmacyweown"Harrishighlightedthedifferencebetweenfoodinsecurityand nutritioninsecurity,notingthatfartoomanypeoplelackaccesstohealthy,safe,andaffordablefoodessentialfor optimalhealth.
nectingthe tdisparities ndthose
HeartDiseaseintheFamily:LessonsfromSiblings
SiblingsJhiApakamaandJosiahShirleeandtheir familymemberstalkedabouttheirpersonaljourney withheartdisease.
Keynote:ACalltoListen
AnthonyFletcher,aninterventionalcardiologistwith CHISt.VincentCardiologyandMedicineinLittle RockandpresidentoftheAssociationofBlack Cardiologists,deliveredthekeynoteaddress Fletcher challengedcliniciansandpatientsaliketoopenthe doortofullerconversationsabouthealth.
health."Wecannotachievehealthequityby treatingthemouthasseparatefromthebody," Jeffersonsaid,highlightingthebarriersthatprevent manyArkansans,particularlythosewithout adequatecoverage,fromreceivingregulardental care
Thesummitalsohonoredthelegacyofformer executivedirectors,recognizingthefoundationof leadershipthathascarriedminorityhealth advocacyforwardinArkansas
Sandra Brown Jackson
Dr. Pebbles Fagen
Dr Takiha Jefferson
Joshua Harris
Dr. Lowry Barnes & Dr. Lanita Shaverd
C e l e b ra t i n g Community Health Workers
OnApril 15,Arkansas joined communities across the country in celebrating Community Health Worker Day.
More than 500 Community Health Workers serve our state across over100 locations, touching the lives of more than 100,000Arkansans every year Of those, more than 120 are now certified through theArkansas Community Health Worker Certification Commission, a testament to the growing professionalism and recognition of this vital workforce.
From hospitals to rural health networks, Community Health Workers are the trusted bridge between communities and care, meeting people where they are, breaking down barriers, and ensuring that moreArkansans can access the services they need. CHCAis proud to stand with them.
CHCA’s Chief Quality and Informatics Officer, Marico Bryant Howe, Ph D, recently sat down with Gwen Greene, Ph.D. Greene is the president & CEO ofApplied Information Technology, a cybersecurity and engineering compliance firm working in government and commercial contracting.
Dr. Greene says the biggest wins in protecting yo m buying the latest tech. They start with asking a simple question: What am I actually trying to protect? Without that answer, even the most expensive tools are essentially useless.
Here's where to start:
1. Know your "crown jewels."
Every organization has data or systems that, if compromised, would be devastating (think customer records, financial data, or internal communications). Identify yours first.
2. Look at the full picture.
It's not just about your own systems. Consider who has access to your network, what your organization looks like from the outside (what hackers can see), and how your vendors handle your data.Aweak link anywhere in that chain is a risk.
3. Have a plan for when — not if — something goes wrong. No system is 100% secure. Many established organizations use what's called a COOP (Continuity of Operations Plan). The COOP Is essentially a playbook for keeping things running during and after an attack
Don't wait for a breach to find out you were vulnerable. Start by identifying what matters most, and build your defenses around that.
2027CHCABIENNIAL CONFERENCE SEPTEMBER 15-17, 2027
HotSpringsConventionCenter
