Harrison, AR-September 2026 - North Arkansas Regional Medical Center (NARMC) is excited to announce it has been awarded $3 million through the Promoting Access, Coordination, and Transformation (PACT) initiative of the Arkansas Rural Health Transformation Program. The funding will be directed toward enhancing oncology care and supporting continued access to this important service for patients in rural Arkansas.
The Rural Health Transformation Program is a statewide effort designed to strengthen rural healthcare delivery, expand access to care and support sustainable healthcare services throughout Arkansas. PACT specifically supports efforts to expand specialty care, preventive screenings and telehealth services while strengthening rural healthcare infrastructure and collaboration.
The award is part of the first round of Rural Health Transformation Program funding announced by the State of Arkansas, which includes nearly $150 million in awards through the PACT and THRIVE initiatives. Of that funding, $93.6 million was awarded through PACT and $55.7 million through THRIVE. Additional awards through the Recruitment, Innovation, Skills, and Education for Arkansas (RISE AR) and Healthy Eating, Active Recreation, and Transformation (HEART) initiatives will be announced at a later date.
NARMC’s original PACT proposal requested more than $16 million to support investments in oncology, inpatient behavioral health, Emergency Department modernization, cardiology and specialty care, telehealth access, and mobile mammography. The $3 million awarded to NARMC through PACT will be allocated toward expanding oncology care to strengthen access to specialty care for patients and families in rural Arkansas.
“We are incredibly grateful for this $3 million investment in NARMC and the patients and families we serve,” said Sammie Cribbs Roberson, President and CEO of North Arkansas Regional Medical Center. “This funding will be dedicated to enhancing oncology care and will allow us to move forward with an important project for our organization and the people who depend on us for care. We appreciate Governor Sanders, the Rural Health Transformation team and everyone who has worked to make this investment in rural healthcare possible.”
NARMC extends its sincere appreciation to Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Arkansas Department of Human Services Secretary Janet Mann, Chief Financial Officer for the State of Arkansas and Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration Jim Hudson, Arkansas Department of Health Secretary Renee Mallory, Director, Rural Health Transformation, Brad Nye, Arkansas State Senator Missy Irvin, Director of the Arkansas State Crime Lab, Dr. Ted Brown, and the many other individuals involved in developing and implementing the Rural Health Transformation Program.
Rural healthcare requires continued investment, collaboration and a commitment to strengthening the high-quality healthcare options available to patients and families locally. NARMC remains committed to ensuring patients and families throughout rural North Arkansas have access to high-quality healthcare and looks forward to sharing more about the oncology project as the work moves forward.
Pictured from left to right: Brad Nye, Director of Rural Health Transformation, Missy Irvin, Arkansas State Senator, Dr. Ted Brown, Director of Arkansas State Crime Laboratory, Renee Mallory, Arkansas Department of Health Secretary, Clayton Journagan, NARMC Director of Information Services, Josh Bright, NARMC COO, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Sammie Cribbs Roberson, NARMC CEO, Donna Boehm, NARMC CNO, Andrea Smith, NARMC CFO, Janet Mann, Arkansas Department of Human Services Secretary, and Jim Hudson, Chief Financial Officer for the State of Arkansas and Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration.