Jonesboro, Ark. — Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has awarded a $1.5 million grant to the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University (NYITCOM at A-State) to enhance maternal health care services in rural northeast Arkansas.
The grant, part of the state's Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) under its Promoting Access, Coordination, and Transportation (PACT) initiative, will support the “Mobile Health Unit Maternal Health and Education Access Initiative” led by NYITCOM’s Delta Population Health Institute (DPHI). The program aims to improve access to critical maternal health care services in Mississippi and Poinsett counties through mobile clinics, telehealth consultations, patient-centered transportation, and workforce development in obstetric care.
“We are so grateful to Governor Sanders and her team for entrusting us with these funds that will make a significant impact in our ability to help mothers and children in the most medically underserved portions of our state,” said Dr. Shane Speights, dean of NYITCOM at A-State. “We’re excited to see the impact this work will have in areas so desperately in need.”
A key element of the initiative is the acquisition of a Mobile Maternal Health Unit, modeled after the Delta Care-a-Van that DPHI has operated since 2019. The unit will serve as a mobile clinic, providing new and expectant mothers with previously inaccessible health care services. In addition, the program will purchase two passenger vehicles to transport patients from remote areas to specialty care facilities. Telehealth services will also be utilized to minimize transportation barriers.
“This new initiative will address significant gaps in maternal health access,” said Dr. Brookshield Laurent, associate dean for population and public health and executive director of DPHI. “Women in the Delta region often face barriers such as limited access to obstetric providers, transportation challenges, and a shortage of maternal health care services. By providing mobile clinics, specialty care transport, and telehealth options, we can tackle these challenges and prepare healthcare professionals to better respond to obstetric emergencies.”
The DPHI framework for the new initiative builds on its previous work, including a Maternal Health Learning and Care Communities program funded by the Arkansas Minority Health Commission in 2023 that established footprints in Mississippi and Poinsett counties. Input received from that program informed the design of the newly funded effort.
NYITCOM at A-State is also planning a family medicine residency program with the Mississippi County Hospital System in Blytheville. Set to emphasize obstetrics training, the program’s residents and faculty will play an integral role in the maternal health initiative. “We’re training the next generation of physicians to address the needs of rural areas and inspire a passion for solving these challenges,” said Dr. Amanda Deel, associate dean of graduate medical education.
Opened in 2016 through a public-private partnership with Arkansas State University, NYITCOM at A-State was established to address the critical shortage of physicians in Arkansas and the broader Mississippi Delta region. With a mission to serve medically underserved areas, the school has consistently launched initiatives to improve population health outcomes.
Governor Sanders announced the funding on Thursday during a press conference at the Arkansas State Capitol in Little Rock. The maternal health program was among several projects receiving funding, with total awards amounting to $149.3 million.