Heartland Whole Health GME Technical Assistance Center

Why Partner with Us?

• Statewide perspective across rural, urban, and underserved settings

• Technical expertise in accreditation, finance, and workforce planning

• Collaborative, community-driven approach

• Committed to nonpartisan analysis, study, and research for broad public education

Connect with Our GME Technical Assistance Center Team

What We Provide

• Foundational GME Education

• Best Practice Resources

• Feasibility & Readiness Assessments for New or Expanding Programs

• Financial Scenario Planning for Sustainability

• Administration Support & Accreditation Pathway Guidance

• Informational Meetings & Network Connections

• State and Regional Workforce Data Insights

Advisory Board Participating Organizations

The advisory board includes representation from: 

• Alice L. Walton School of Medicine 

• Arkansas Children’s 

• Arkansas Colleges of Health Education 

• Arkansas Department of Human Services 

• Healthy Connections, Inc. 

• Mainline Health Systems, Inc. 

• Mercy Northwest Arkansas 

• New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine  

• St. Bernards Medical Center 

• University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Medicine 

• Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks 

Actionable Insights to Expand GME in Arkansas

Heartland Whole Health Institute published Growing the Physician Workforce in Arkansas: A Statewide Graduate Medical Education Strategy, a report examining Arkansas’ physician training landscape and outlining evidence‑informed options to strengthen residency training capacity over time. The report offers a clear, data‑driven framework for policymakers, health systems, and education leaders seeking pathways to strengthen Arkansas’s physician workforce and expand access to care statewide.

What the Report Examines

• Arkansas’ current GME landscape

• Specialty and geographic gaps that influence access to care

• Barriers and considerations affecting residency program feasibility

• Regional training pathways and implementation considerations

• Lessons from peer states and comparable training models

A Growing Gap Between Medical School Graduates and Residency Training

Arkansas’ physician pipeline faces a clear math problem. Despite 1,281 total residency and fellowship positions statewide, only 375 are designated for first-year residents, leaving Arkansas with fewer training opportunities than medical school graduates each year. That mismatch pushes Arkansas-trained physicians to leave the state for residency training, weakening long-term retention and access to care. The pressure will increase beginning in 2029, when Alice L. Walton School of Medicine (AWSOM) begins graduating an additional cohort of 48 physicians each year.