St. Bernards Receives $4.8 Million to Enhance Rural Health Initiatives, Healthcare Workforce
St. Bernards Foundation announced it received two grants through the State of Arkansas's Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) totaling $4.8 million, furthering rural health initiatives and enhancing rural healthcare workforces.
The largest grant, RISE AR (Recruitment Innovation Skills and Education for Arkansas), provides St. Bernards with $3.85 million to train physicians and clinicians locally, with additional incentives to recruit and retain healthcare professionals. The second grant, HEART (Healthy Eating, Active Recreation, and Transformation), will add $948k to promote healthier lifestyles throughout rural areas. Here, St. Bernards will create coordinated, community-driven approaches to nutrition, physical activity and chronic disease management.
"We extend our sincerest gratitude to Governor Sarah Sanders and her team for prioritizing rural healthcare, because those priorities align with our rich history of providing healthcare services where they did not exist," said Josh Conlee, St. Bernards Healthcare Senior Vice President of Strategic Services. "Every community faces its own unique challenges across our region. These new rural health grants allow us to take that commitment a step further. We're directly targeting local care shortages, promoting healthy living and most importantly, bridging critical gaps."
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PICTURE: St. Bernards Foundation Receives two grants from the State of Arkansas totaling nearly $4.8 million to further rural health initiatives and enhance rural healthcare workforces. Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders (middle) distributes the check to St. Bernards Healthcare SVP of Strategic Services Josh Conlee (left) and St. Bernards Healthcare President & CEO Chris Barber (right). Supporting them (from L to R) are Arkansas Rural Health Transformation Director Brad Nye, Arkansas State Crime Lab Director Dr. Ted Brown, Arkansas Surgeon General Dr. Kay Brown, St. Bernards Foundation Grant Office Regan Miller, Arkansas Secretary of Health Renee Miller, and Arkansas Department of Human Services Secretary Janet Mann.
