State Screening Initiatives: Arkansas
In October 2009, Arkansas was selected by the National Academy for State Health and Policy (NASHP) as one of five states to receive funding for the Assuring Better Child Health and Development (ABCD) III Program. The collaborators of Arkansas Linkages Improve Networks and Knowledge of Services (AR LINKS), Medicaid, Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care, Division of Childcare and Early Childhood Education, Arkansas Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and Arkansas Chapter of the Academy of Family Physicians have been charged with linking pediatric primary care physicians to other health care providers throughout the state in an effort to improve the developmental health care of children.
At the early stages of ABCD Program funding, the AR LINKS team assessed barriers to quality improvement in primary care practices. They recognized a need to improve the general knowledge of primary care providers in regards to community resources that are available to their patients. AR LINKS has since been able to identify referral and follow-up providers across the state to serve the children and families of Arkansas. Arkansas Medicaid includes provisions for screening data collection, recognizes payment for screening code 96110, requires developmental screening in well-child visits, and has implemented a communications strategy to ensure that stakeholders are aware of these policy changes.
AAP: Community Pediatrics Grant Database
The Community Pediatrics Grant Database archives previously funded Community Pediatrics grant projects, including those funded through the CATCH Program, the Healthy Tomorrows Partnership for Children Program, the Community Pediatrics Training Initiative and the Healthy People 2010 Chapter Grants. The database is searchable by seven major categories: target population, health topic, state/territory, project activity, AAP program, AAP district, and project year. Members of the AAP can obtain grantee contact information by searching through the Member Center. If you are not an AAP member, but have questions please contact docbi@aap.org.
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Chapter - Arkansas
Academy chapters are organized groups of pediatricians and other health care professionals working to achieve AAP goals in their communities. Chapters are the channels of representation for individual members of the Academy. Please contact your local chapter for additional state resources.
American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) Chapter - Arkansas
The American Academy of Family Physicians is one of the largest national medical organizations, representing more than 94,000 family physicians, family medicine residents, and medical students.
Family Voices Chapter - Arkansas
Family Voices aims to achieve family-centered care for all children and youth with special health care needs and/or disabilities. Through a national network, they provide families tools to make informed decisions, advocate for improved public and private policies, build partnerships among professionals and families, and serve as a trusted resource on health care.
Family-to-Family Health Information Centers (F2F HICs)
F2F HICs are non-profit organizations that help families of children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN) and the professionals who serve them. F2F HICs are in a unique position to help families because they are typically staffed/run by parents of CYSHCN themselves, and as parents, they have traveled through the maze of services and programs designed to help CYSHCN. Staff at F2F HICs understand the issues that families face, provide advice, offer a multitude of resources, and tap into a network of other families and professionals for support and information. Family Voices, through the National Center for Family / Professional Partnerships, provides technical assistance, training, and connections to other F2F HICs and partnering organizations.
Arkansas Disability Coalition
Address: 1123 South University Suite 225, Little Rock, AR 72204
Phone: 501/614-7020 | Fax: 501/614-9082 | Toll-Free: 800/223-1330
Primary Contact(s): Bryan Cozart, 501/614-7020 | Wanda Stovall, 501/614-7020
Title V Block Grant to States
Title V of the Social Security Act is one of the largest Federal block grant programs. It leads the nation in ensuring the health of all mothers, infants, children, adolescents, and children with special health care needs (CSHCN). Title V is administered by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) as part of the Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
MCH Contact
Bradley Planey, Associate Branch Chief, Family Health
Address: 4815 W. Markham St. Slot-16, Little Rock , Arkansas 72205
Phone: 501/661-2531 |
Fax: 501/661-2464 |
E-mail: bradley.planey@arkansas.gov
Title V and Children with Special Health Care Needs
MCHB Objective: Support development and implementation of comprehensive, culturally competent, coordinated systems of care for the estimated 18 million US children who have or are at risk for chronic physical, developmental, behavioral or emotional conditions and who also require health and related services of a type or amount beyond that required by children generally.
CSHCN Contact
Nancy Holder, Director, Children's Medical Services
Address: PO Box 1437, Slot S380, Little Rock, AR 72203-1437
Phone: 501/682-1464 | Fax: 501/682-8247 | E-mail: Nancy.Holder@arkansas.gov
Early Hearing Detection & Intervention (EHDI) Contact(s)
State EHDI programs promote universal newborn hearing screening, develop effective tracking and follow-up as a part of the public health system, promote appropriate and timely diagnosis of the hearing loss, prompt enrollment in appropriate Early Intervention, ensure a medical home for all newborns and strive to eliminate geographic and financial barriers to service access.
State Newborn Screening & Genetics Programs
Arkansas Newborn Screening Program and Contact Information
From the National Newborn Screening and Genetics Resource Center Web site
Arkansas Genetic Services and Contact Information
From the National Newborn Screening and Genetics Resource Center Web site
Southeast Newborn Screening and Genetics Collaborative – HRSA Region 3
Translating research into practical health care services and systems to improve the health and quality of life of individuals with heritable disorders through Collaboration and Partnership
Early Intervention/Part C Coordinator
The Program for Infants and Toddlers with Disabilities (Part C of IDEA) is a federal grant program that assists states in operating a comprehensive statewide program of early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities, ages birth through age 2 years, and their families.
Tracy Turner, Part C Coordinator
Contact: Phone:501/682-8703 | Fax: 501/682-8890 | E-mail: Tracy.Turner@Arkansas.gov
Section 619/Special Education for ages 3-5 Coordinators
This program provides free appropriate public education (FAPE) for children, ages 3 through 5 years, with disabilities:
Sandra Reifeiss
Phone: 501/682-4225 | Fax: 501/682-5168 | E-mail: Sandra.reifeiss@arkansas.gov
State Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC) Chairs
The ICC advises appropriate agencies on the unmet needs in early childhood special education and early intervention programs for children with disabilities, assists in the development and implementation of policies that constitute a statewide system, and assists all appropriate agencies in achieving full participation, coordination, and cooperation for implementation of statewide system.
Dr Brenda Holder, ICC Co-Chair
Phone: 870/862-4545, Ext. 103 | Fax: 870/862-0380 | E-mail: holder@factinc.us
Susan Perry, ICC Co-Chair
Phone: 501/269-6688 | E-mail: ar.chadd@yahoo.com
Medicaid
Medicaid is Title XIX of the Social Security Act and is a federal/state entitlement program that provides medical assistance to certain individuals and families with low incomes and/or special health care needs. Medicaid is of unique importance to children; together with the Children's Health Insurance Program, Medicaid insures over 1 in 4 children in the United States, with millions more eligible but currently unenrolled. The Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) program is a critical component of Medicaid, which guarantees that children enrolled in Medicaid are screened for medical or developmental problems early, and that necessary treatments and services are provided.
Medicaid State Director
For the most updated contact, please refer to the National Association of State Medicaid Directors Member List.
State Waiver Information
Waivers are the result of a process that allows state Medicaid agencies to apply for and receive permission from HCFA to provide services not otherwise covered by Medicaid and/or to do so in ways not described by the Social Security Act. Most Medicaid managed care programs require Waivers. The Waivers, which can differ greatly, are known by their numbers (1115, 1119), or as home-and community-based, or as Katie Beckett Waivers.
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
CHIP is Title XXI of the Social Security Act and is a state and federal partnership that targets uninsured children and pregnant women in families with incomes too high to qualify for most state Medicaid programs, but often too low to afford private coverage. Within federal guidelines, each state determines the design of its individual CHIP program, including eligibility parameters, benefit packages, and administrative procedures. The Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA) reauthorized the program through FY 2013, and includes many incentives for states to find and enroll more eligible children in both Medicaid and CHIP. CHIPRA also includes a number of quality provisions that aim to monitor and improve care delivered through the Medicaid and CHIP programs. Each state does have a CHIP program, and the names of these programs differ from state to state.
Children’s Health Insurance State Program Director
For the most updated contact, please refer to the CMS listing of CHIP Directors. 
Community Health Centers in the State
Federally-funded health centers care for you, even if you have no health insurance. You pay what you can afford, based on your income. Health centers provide checkups when you're well, treatment when you're sick, complete care when you're pregnant, immunizations and checkups for your children, dental care and prescription drugs for your family, mental health and substance abuse care if you need it. For a listing of CHCs in Arkansas, please use HRSA’s ‘Find A Health Center’ search engine.
Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP) Arkansas State Profile
These state profiles provide a snapshot of how the Maternal and Child Health Block Grant works in specific states. The profiles detail the Federal funds appropriated to each state, state match, specific programs funded, numbers of people receiving services and state health needs.
AAP Issue Brief: Implementing the Medical Home in Medicaid, CHIP, and Multistakeholder Demonstration Programs
(AAP Member access only)
The Medical Home Issue Brief serves to provide guidance to AAP chapters working with states to implement medical home projects in Medicaid and CHIP as well as multipayer demonstration programs. It also addresses a number of the policy questions that frequently arise in creating state supports for the medical home.
Child Health Measurement Initiative (CAHMI) Medical Home Portal - Arkansas State Profile
These state profiles provide a state’s medical home performance level for all children or children with special health care needs, based on national survey data.
National Adolescent Health Information Center (NAHIC) Adolescent Health Database
The NAHIC database includes national and state-level profiles of key measures of the health of adolescents and young adults, based on Healthy People 2010. Known as the Data Project, the online resource contains information on recent progress in key areas of adolescent health. National-level data is available by gender and race/ethnicity and also state-by-state, with summaries and data tables. The site also features information about data collection and presentation, state and national Excel files and guidance for using this data to improve the health of adolescents and young adults.
2010 KIDS COUNT Databook
The Annie E Casey Foundation has released the 2010 Kids Count report. The annual Kids Count report is a national and state-by-state profile of the well-being of America's children that seeks to enrich discussions concerning ways to secure better futures for all kids. The 2010 Kids Count report data is available as an interactive databook, a complete PDF-format report , and on request, in print. Data and rankings on 10 key indicators of child well-being are available by state, county, and city.
Medical Home Arkansas Web site
Arkansas Statewide Medical Home Implementation Plan - Promise to the State
