The initial funding awards will be centered on the Telehealth, Health‑Monitoring, and Response Innovation for Vital Expansion (THRIVE) initiative. THRIVE will modernize rural healthcare delivery by expanding telehealth access, strengthening emergency medical response systems, and deploying remote patient monitoring technologies. A total of $55.6 million will be awarded for THRIVE initiatives. Additional funding rounds will be announced over the next 90 days, with the full $209 million allocated to Arkansas for 2026 expected to be awarded by this Fall.
Governor Sanders and the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) anticipate the state will receive more than $1 billion in overall RHTP funding over the course of the next five years.
“Last year, with the passing of the One, Big, Beautiful Bill, President Trump and his administration delivered a nationwide mandate to Make America Healthy Again, and thanks to the nearly $210 million awarded to Arkansas so far, we will be able to help people where they need it most,” said Governor Sanders. “Rural communities make up a significant portion of the Natural State, and these funds will help ensure that all who call them home have access to critical medical assistance they need and deserve."
“This program, in combination with the Governor’s ongoing health initiatives, has the capacity to create generational change throughout rural Arkansas,” said Arkansas Secretary of Finance and Administration Jim Hudson. “For example, we will see increased access to care through more mobile units and new, improved technology to reach patients where they are. I look forward to working closely with Governor Sanders and stakeholders, with a common goal to improve the lives of our fellow Arkansans.”
Governor Sanders and DFA worked closely with stakeholders across the state to establish the four priorities for RHTP. Outreach included feedback from physicians, nurses, pharmacists, hospitals, and other healthcare providers, as well as higher education institutions and community-based non-profits. Over the past 60 days, DFA has also hosted numerous townhalls across Arkansas to educate stakeholders on RHTP priorities and the grant application process.
In addition to THRIVE, Arkansas’s RHTP priorities include:
Promoting Access Coordination and Transformation (PACT), which integrates specialty care, preventative screenings, telehealth, and trauma-ready services into rural communities while fostering locally-driven clinically integrated networks to improve efficiency, data sharing, and regional collaboration.
Recruitment Innovation Skills and Education for Arkansas (RISE AR), which strengthens the rural healthcare workforce through expanded physician residencies and other clinical training programs, provides incentives to recruit and retain healthcare professionals in rural Arkansas, and provides training to ensure leaders and board members of local hospitals and clinics are prepared for the transformation required in rural healthcare.
Healthy Eating, Active Recreation, and Transformation (HEART), a program focused on improving health outcomes and access to preventative care by creating a coordinated, community-driven approach to nutrition, physical activity, and chronic disease management.
Examples of eligible applicants include:
Rural hospitals
Health systems with a rural footprint
Faith-Based organizations
Clinics
Federally Qualified Health Centers
EMS providers
Pharmacists
Universities, nonprofits, and community partners
Additional details, including each Notice of Funding Opportunity announcement, can be found at www.ArkansasRHTP.com. Interested applicants may also send questions to info@ArkansasRHTP.com. DFA is committed to providing a transparent and streamlined application process to access funding. Technical assistance will also be made available to stakeholders as needed.
Over the last three years, Governor Sanders has announced major initiatives to improve the health of Arkansans, including signing the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies Act last year, directing $45 million to promote maternal health. Additionally, as part of her comprehensive strategy to combat food insecurity, she signed SB59 in 2025, requiring all Arkansas public schools to provide one free breakfast to students per school day, regardless of their federal eligibility for free meals, and, last summer, Governor Sanders announced the launch of a farm-to-school pilot program, created by her faith-based initiatives office to provide students with fresh, nutritious produce while at school. She also worked to ban taxpayer-funded soft drinks and candy from the state’s food stamp program.