Role of doulas in the birthing journey; impact of Medicaid expansion in Arkansas

Arkansas began participating in the Medicaid program in 1970. Since then, the program has undergone many revisions to meet the needs of the state’s changing population, and today nearly one-third of Arkansans receive coverage from Arkansas Medicaid. On Thursday, we launched a new web resource that brings together ongoing analyses, discussions, and updates on the Arkansas Medicaid program, including information on the state’s unique version of Medicaid expansion, which began providing coverage in January 2014 and is now known as Arkansas Health and Opportunity for Me (ARHOME).

In a new video, launched with our Arkansas Medicaid web page, ACHI President and CEO Dr. Joe Thompson and Health Policy Director Craig Wilson discuss the impacts of Medicaid expansion in Arkansas, as well as implementation of major parts of the Affordable Care Act, over the past decade.

Our Latest Explainer

The birthing journey represents perhaps the most transformative and vulnerable phase of a mother’s life, yet many find themselves navigating it without adequate familial and social support. Doulas, trained professionals who provide emotional, physical, and other supports, can help fill this gap for pregnant or recently pregnant women. Our new explainer examines the role of doulas in the birthing journey, their impact on health outcomes, and training and certification requirements.

Wonks at Work

Mothers are more likely to die during pregnancy or shortly after giving birth in Arkansas than any other state. In our first podcast episode of 2024, host Craig Wilson welcomes Dr. Nirvana Manning, chair of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, to explore this issue and discuss what can be done to make having a baby in Arkansas less risky.

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From Our CEO

In his latest column for the Healthcare Journal of Arkansas, ACHI President and CEO Dr. Joe Thompson writes that we are only starting to see the transformation of health care by emerging technologies. Reflecting on two symposia ACHI hosted late last year, he shares three takeaways from our speakers’ remarks about the impact of new technologies, such as artificial intelligence and virtual care.

Staff News

ACHI Director of Information Systems Architecture Kenley Money has been re-elected as board chair of the National Association of Health Data Organizations for 2024. She was first elected last year and before that served as a board member and board secretary for NAHDO. At ACHI, Money oversees administration of the Arkansas All-Payer Claims Database, a repository of health data created as part of the legislatively established Arkansas Healthcare Transparency Initiative.

Data Users Group

Everyone who uses or is interested in using Arkansas All-Payer Claims Database (APCD) data is invited to attend the next Data Users Group Webinar from noon to 1 p.m. (CT) on Jan. 24. In our first meeting of 2024, we will discuss linking external data files to Arkansas Healthcare Transparency Initiative data, explore use cases from other APCDs, and share the latest Arkansas APCD release information. Register online.

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Dr. Joe Thompson, ACHI president and CEO