Arkansas-based Rural Healthcare System ARcare Joins Hazelden Betty Ford's National Addiction Treatment Network

Center City, Minn., and Augusta, Arkansas (March 4, 2021) – ARcare, a federally qualified healthcare center with primary care and behavioral health clinics in rural Arkansas, Mississippi and Kentucky, is the newest member of the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation's national network of addiction treatment providers.

"After four years of working with Hazelden Betty Ford to implement its comprehensive, leading-edge approach to treating opioid addiction within the ARcare system, we are excited to expand our relationship further by joining the Hazelden Betty Ford Patient Care Network," said ARcare CEO Dr. Steven Collier. "ARcare is committed to collaborating with other experts nationally and partners throughout our communities to meet the near- and long-term challenges of addiction and mental health issues, which have been escalating for years and are now rising even more amid the pandemic."

As a federally qualified health center (FQHC), ARcare utilizes government funds to provide quality services in underserved areas regardless of patients' ability to pay. It has been operating for 35 years, employs 800 people, and has six behavioral health clinics in addition to more than three dozen primary care clinics. In recent years, Hazelden Betty Ford has supported ARcare's implementation of new opioid addiction treatment protocols and its integration of peer recovery specialists at primary care sites to support patients' recovery management. Headquartered in Augusta, Ark., ARcare is the second FQHC to join the Hazelden Betty Ford Patient Care Network, a growing group of organizations from across the nation working together to share knowledge and best practices, extend the continuum of care, and improve quality and outcomes for their patients.

"We are thrilled to welcome ARcare to our Patient Care Network as a collaborative member—our first from the tri-state area of Arkansas, Mississippi and Kentucky," said Bob Poznanovich, vice president of business development for Hazelden Betty Ford, the nation's largest nonprofit provider of addiction treatment, co-occurring mental health care, recovery resources and related prevention and education services.

"Our shared mission—to provide quality, comprehensive, evidence-based care centered on the whole person—makes for a natural partnership, and our varied experiences and expertise will allow us to learn from each other as well," Poznanovich added. "Together, we will expand the reach of the Hazelden Betty Ford Patient Care Network and help even more individuals, families and communities find hope, healing and recovery from addiction and mental health concerns."

About ARcare

For more than 30 years, ARcare has delivered committed, trustworthy, and compassionate healthcare to 44 clinics throughout the state. ARcare's mission, "Health for All," runs through the hearts of its medical professionals and other staff members. ARcare brings superior healthcare services to patients, whether or not they have the ability to pay for it.