Jack Sisson Joins Institute as Vice President, Policy and Strategic Planning
Heartland Whole Health Institute welcomes Jack Sisson as Vice President, Policy and Strategic Planning, effective September 8, 2025. The Institute, founded in 2019 by philanthropist Alice Walton, focuses on health care transformation by working with the health care industry in the development of new payment models, predictive analytics, and virtual care technology.
Sisson will lead the development and execution of integrated health policy strategies, foster strategic partnerships, and drive organizational initiatives to improve health outcomes in Arkansas through systems transformation, payment reform, and value-based care.
Sisson joins the Institute from the Office of Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, where he served as Senior Advisor for Health Care and Policy Director. In his nearly 15-year tenure in government and policy, Sisson has worked with Governor Sanders in multiple capacities. In Washington, D.C., Sisson served as health policy advisor to U.S. Senator John Boozman (Ark.) and aide to then-U.S. Senator Sam Brownback (Kan). He also served as an advisor to Governor Mike Huckabee (Ark.) and Representative French Hill (Ark.), Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Jack Sisson to our leadership team,” said Dr. Claude Pirtle, Heartland Whole Health Institute’s President. “His deep experience in federal and state government, especially his understanding of Arkansas’s unique health care landscape, and unwavering dedication to improving the health of Arkansans and the Heartland will bring invaluable perspective to our work. As we continue advancing our mission to improve health outcomes, increase health care access, and lower cost of care, Jack’s leadership will be instrumental in driving meaningful impact.”
“I’m honored to join Heartland Whole Health Institute and excited to work alongside such a passionate and forward-thinking team,” Sisson said. “Following years in public service, I’m excited to work with an organization dedicated to improving health outcomes and creating lasting change for future generations.”
About Heartland Whole Health Institute
Founded in 2019 by philanthropist Alice Walton, Heartland Whole Health Institute puts a whole health approach at the center of the broader health care system to address the current health care crisis. The purpose is to lower costs, improve quality, and broaden access to health care in the Heartland by catalyzing new delivery models, using whole health principles, that can be replicated to disrupt the national health care system. The Institute was driven by its founder’s health care experience, and furthered by research revealing that the United States has one of the highest levels of health care spending worldwide yet relatively low rankings in overall health. In conjunction with Alice L. Walton School of Medicine, the Institute will transform the national health care landscape, beginning in the Heartland.
