ARKANSAS OSTEOPATHIC MEDICAL ASSOCIATION

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A Time of Opportunity and a Time to Advocate

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This has been an exciting season for health care in Arkansas, particularly for those of us who have spent our careers caring for rural and underserved communities.

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The Rural Health Transformation Program represents one of the most significant investments in rural health care that Arkansas has seen in many years. Arkansas received approximately $208.8 million in federal funding for the first year of the program, and the first round of awards announced this summer directed nearly $150 million toward projects designed to strengthen access, improve care coordination, expand technology and telehealth, and support the rural health care infrastructure across our state.

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For those of us in Osteopathic medicine, this feels particularly meaningful.

DOs have always had a strong presence in rural communities. We understand that improving health is about far more than treating a diagnosis. It requires understanding the patient, the family, the community, and the circumstances in which people live. The emphasis we are now seeing on prevention, access, integration, workforce development, and bringing care closer to patients reflects principles that have long been part of Osteopathic medicine.

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We should celebrate this progress.  But we should also recognize that funding alone will not determine the future of health care in Arkansas.

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Over the coming months, AOMA will be placing an even greater emphasis on advocacy and engagement.  That means building stronger relationships with our legislators and policymakers. It means making sure they understand who Osteopathic physicians are, how extensively we serve Arkansas communities, and what our practices and our patients are experiencing every day. It also means being willing to bring practical solutions to the table when decisions are being made about access to care, physician workforce, rural health, scope of practice, reimbursement, behavioral health, and the many other issues affecting the practice of medicine.

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Advocacy does not belong only to lobbyists or association leadership. Some of the most powerful advocacy happens when a physician simply tells the story of what is happening in his or her community.

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When you explain why your rural clinic cannot recruit another physician, why a patient travels two hours for specialty care, why administrative requirements interfere with treatment, or why a particular policy would make it easier, or harder, to care for your patients, those conversations matter.

AOMA wants to help amplify those voices.

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As we move into this next phase, you will hear more from us about opportunities to participate, communicate with policymakers, and help shape the conversations affecting Osteopathic medicine in Arkansas.

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The Rural Health Transformation Program has shown us what can happen when attention, resources, and innovation are focused on the health of our communities.

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Now we have an opportunity to help make sure that transformation continues.

There has never been a more important time for Arkansas Osteopathic physicians to be engaged, connected, and heard.

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Kristin Martin, DO, MS, FAAFP, FASAM, FACOFP
President
Arkansas Osteopathic Medical Association

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