Baxter Health Receives Major State Investment to Expand Rural Healthcare Access

State Funding Will Support Expanded Specialty Access, New Care Models, and Stronger Regional Partnerships Across Rural Arkansas

Baxter Health has been awarded funding through the State of Arkansas Rural Health Transformation Program for two major initiatives designed to strengthen healthcare access across rural communities: THRIVE at Home and the Baxter Health Rural Access Network.

The awards represent one of the most significant investments in rural healthcare access in Baxter Health’s history. The funding will support new approaches to bringing care closer to patients, expanding access to specialists, strengthening rural clinics, and investing in the technology and infrastructure needed to deliver healthcare differently across the region.

“This is an extraordinary opportunity for Baxter Health and, more importantly, for the rural communities we serve,” Ron Peterson, President and CEO of Baxter Health, said. “People who choose to live in rural America deserve access to exceptional healthcare close to home. These investments give us new tools to overcome some of the barriers rural patients face every day and build a stronger healthcare system for the future.”

THRIVE at Home received partial funding from the state. Baxter Health will work with state officials to refine the scope and timing of the initiative to align with the funding awarded. THRIVE at Home is designed to extend healthcare beyond the traditional walls of the hospital and bring more services directly to patients throughout rural communities. The proposal includes emergency response modernization, remote patient monitoring, telehealth, Hospital at Home, Community Paramedicine, and digital infrastructure improvements needed to support those services. As implementation plans are finalized, some elements included in Baxter Health’s original proposal may be phased into future funding requests rather than implemented immediately.

The Baxter Health Rural Access Network, also known as PACT, was fully funded, allowing the health system to move forward with a regional model designed to strengthen healthcare collaboration and expand access to services throughout rural Arkansas. Through this initiative, Baxter Health will work alongside regional healthcare organizations, including Boston Mountain and Izard Regional Hospital, to bring specialty care closer to rural patients. The initiative will support expanded specialty access through telehealth, the conversion of five community clinics to Rural Health Clinic status, deployment of a mobile value-based care and preventive screening unit, improvements to clinical communication technology, and important SAFE facility investments.

Peterson spoke to the importance of regional collaboration in addressing rural health challenges. “The challenges of rural healthcare cannot be solved by one hospital or one community working alone,” Peterson said. “This investment allows us to build stronger connections across our region and create new ways for patients to access the care they need without always having to travel long distances to receive it.”

The initiatives are designed to address some of the most persistent challenges facing rural patients, including long travel distances for care, limited access to specialists, transportation barriers, an aging population, and healthcare workforce shortages. Getting to this point required months of work across Baxter Health and close collaboration with community and regional partners. Baxter Health will now work with the State of Arkansas to finalize implementation plans, timelines, and responsibilities before the initiatives move into implementation.

Two additional Baxter Health Rural Health Transformation proposals, RISE and HEART, remain under consideration by the state, creating the potential for additional investment in the communities Baxter Health serves. Additional information will be shared as those award decisions are announced.

Peterson noted that while today’s announcement is a meaningful milestone, the real work is just beginning. “We are grateful for the confidence the State of Arkansas has placed in Baxter Health, and we are excited about what these investments can mean for our patients, our partners, and the future of rural healthcare in North Central Arkansas,” Peterson said.