Bentonville, Ark.-based Heartland Whole Health Institute has launched a statewide Graduate Medical Education Technical Assistance Center aimed at improving access to care in rural and underserved communities.
Four things to know:
1. The institute, founded in 2019 by philanthropist and Walmart heiress Alice Walton, also released a report outlining strategies to expand physician residency training capacity across Arkansas, according to a June 22 news release.
2. The report found Arkansas medical schools graduate approximately 430 physicians annually but offer only 375 entry-level residency positions, creating a training bottleneck that sends many Arkansas-trained physicians out of state for residency training. The report was created in collaboration with ShepsGME, the GME technical assistance and capacity-building arm of the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
3. Heartland Whole Health Institute said Arkansas could support approximately 500 additional residency positions statewide, generating about $705 million in economic impact and a return on investment exceeding 4:1.
4. The nonprofit launched the technical assistance center to help hospitals, health systems, academic partners and communities develop and expand residency programs, particularly in rural and underserved areas. Healthcare organizations will gain access to free support regarding accreditation pathways, operational planning, program design and long-term sustainability.
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