Many industries in Arkansas, which operate in a rural state, have struggled — especially in the wake of the pandemic — to find experienced and skilled workers to fill critical positions.

Health care is particularly problematic across the state, in metro areas and small towns. The Arkansas Rural Health Partnership (ARHP) is working to provide relief in smaller communities by building a labor pipeline to supply the industry.

The nonprofit is identifying critical and in-demand training needs for hospitals, clinics and other health care providers in rural areas through the creation of the Arkansas Rural Health Academy, which plans to begin training students for multiple career options in January. Coordination is underway to gain support from health care providers and training organizations such as schools, technical institutes and community colleges.

The goal, the organization says, is to train local, rural residents to “fill urgent workforce shortages at rural health organizations across the state.”

The core strategy states that investing in and building a rural health care workforce with local talent will provide long-term benefits to small towns in Arkansas: jobs for residents, better care for Arkansas residents, and more investment opportunities.

“Especially after COVID, we’ve had an ongoing struggle to get healthcare workers into our rural hospitals and clinics,” said Mellie Boagni, CEO of ARHP. “It’s a needs-based approach and we started this because there were no programs available to address the hiring struggle. We had the money to give to students and we wanted to help in all of our rural districts.”

The organization provides approximately $1.5 million in grants annually to assist with financial needs. Funding comes from grants through the U.S. Department of Labor and other agencies such as the Delta Regional Authority.

Training support will rely on existing infrastructure including a mobile unit, telehealth, online training and distance learning classes and available classrooms in local facilities. Academy participants will also have apprenticeships available to place them in careers.

The academy offers career opportunities for high school students and skills training for local workers and even healthcare professionals. Training includes certificate and degree programs that vary in length and intensity. Some courses last just a few hours online, while others can take several weeks or months or up to two years.

“We need to grow our own talent,” Boagni says. “It’s just too hard to recruit people to rural areas.”

ARHP also has a website to connect potential healthcare workers with information about careers in the industry, including interviews with current healthcare workers at most job levels, salary information, and connections to career counselors in the chosen career path. The site lists more than 40 career opportunities.

The training initiative aims to overcome common barriers in rural areas, such as local training opportunities and travel times to receive training if there is no local opportunity.

ARHP, based in Lake Village, represents 19 rural hospitals, two health centers and three medical education institutions.

DISASTER AID AVAILABLE

Small nonfarm businesses in five Arkansas counties are eligible to apply for low-interest federal disaster loans. These loans are available through the U.S. Small Business Administration.

SBA will provide loans in Crittenden, Lee, Monroe, Phillips and St. Francis counties to help businesses offset reduced revenues resulting from the extreme weather that began May 22.

“SBA eligibility includes both the economic impacts to businesses that rely on farmers and ranchers and have suffered agricultural production losses due to the disaster, as well as businesses directly affected by the disaster,” said Francisco Sanchez, deputy director at the federal agency.

Small non-farm businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, aquaculture businesses, and most private nonprofit organizations of all sizes are eligible for Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to $2 million. Funds can be used for financial obligations and operating costs that could have been covered if the disaster had not occurred.

“Eligibility for these loans depends solely on the financial impact of the disaster and not on actual property damage,” Sanchez said.

Businesses can apply through April 2025 at sba.gov/disaster.

GENDER EQUALITY FIGURES

The Women’s Foundation of Arkansas has developed a scorecard that allows companies in the state to evaluate their progress toward gender equality in the workplace.

“The Gender Equity Scorecard is a powerful tool for Arkansas businesses committed to advancing gender equality in the workplace,” said Anna Beth Gorman, the organization’s CEO. “This program not only highlights areas where companies excel, but also sheds light on opportunities for growth and improvement. By participating, companies can gain critical insight into their practices and take action to create more inclusive and equitable workplaces, which is essential for fostering innovation and long-term success.”

The scorecard is available at womensfoundationarkansas.org and will be open until Oct. 31. Designed for senior executives or HR leaders, participants will receive an evaluation within three days updating their efforts.

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