Delta Rural Integrated Health Network Program - St. Bernards Development Foundation, in partnership with St. Bernards Healthcare, proposes the St. Bernards Delta Rural Integrated Health Network Project, a two-year initiative designed to help rural hospitals work together more effectively and strengthen long-term access to healthcare across northeast Arkansas. St. Bernards Medical Center in Jonesboro will serve as the network hub. Participating rural hospitals include CrossRidge Community Hospital in Wynne, Five Rivers Medical Center in Pocahontas, Great River Medical Center in Blytheville, Lawrence Memorial Hospital in Walnut Ridge, and South Mississippi County Regional Medical Center in Osceola. Josh Conlee will serve as Network Director, and Regan Miller will serve as Project Director. Rural residents across the Arkansas Delta often face long travel distances, healthcare workforce shortages, limited local access to specialty care, and challenges moving between hospitals and other healthcare providers. Rural hospitals must address these needs while operating with fewer staff and resources than larger healthcare systems. Stronger coordination can help these hospitals protect local access to care while making better use of the services and expertise available throughout the region. The project will bring participating hospitals together to establish a stronger and more formal rural healthcare network. Partners will identify shared priorities, clarify roles and responsibilities, strengthen referral and patient-transfer processes, and develop consistent approaches to care coordination. The network will also explore shared workforce and service strategies, establish expectations for secure information sharing, develop common measures for tracking progress, and create a long-term financial and operational sustainability plan. Site visits, partner workgroups, leadership meetings, and annual strategic-planning sessions will ensure that each rural hospital has a meaningful role in shaping the network. The project will benefit patients, families, healthcare providers, and communities throughout the participating rural service areas. Expected results include stronger collaboration among hospitals, clearer and more consistent coordination processes, better use of shared resources, and a practical plan for sustaining the network. Over time, this work will help rural residents receive more coordinated care while supporting the continued strength of the hospitals serving their communities.
