Uncomplicating Healthcare:
Arcare's Story
Every person's health journey is complicated, but access to quality healthcare doesn't have to be. Arcare began as a dream and a promise to make healthcare accessible to rural communities in the Arkansas Delta. This shared vision sparked our Health for All mission and continues to be the driving force behind every life we change.
As a non-profit organization, the Arcare board ensures our vision is always the guiding light we work toward. Meet the members and visionaries.
Our organization is always looking for the next community where we can serve and the newest healthcare technology advances. Find out where we're headed and what's next.
It's always humbling to be recognized for our efforts. We are also honored to be stewards of special healthcare grants that help serve our patients. Check out the impacts we're making.
Vision & Mission
We want to see a world where quality healthcare is readily accessible to every person, and our mission of Health for All allows this vision to become a reality. Our clinics accept every patient, regardless of insurance status or ability to pay.
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The Beginning
"I'll never forget being in our PJs lying on the living room floor, watching one of the original Superman movies before bed, and hearing a really loud, intense knocking on the door," said Winston Collier, Arcare Chief Legal Officer. "It was a single mother. She's crying, the child she's holding is crying, and she said, 'Dr. Collier, please help! I can't figure out what's wrong with my baby.' This would have been in the early 1980s," Collier continued. "I tell you that story because it's indicative of how we started."
Stories like this were common for the Collier family. When Dr. Steven Collier moved his family to his hometown of Augusta, Arkansas on September 1, 1981, the rural farming community immediately took notice.
"When we moved back, that was the time that truly made me as a doctor," said Dr. Steven Collier, Arcare CEO. "Even then, I could tell there was a lot of work to be done, and medically, it set the pace for what the practice would be like. From emergencies to simple things, someone having a heart attack, counseling for people who were suicidal, kidney stones, car wrecks, you name it. I knew how to treat whatever it was," Dr. Collier said.
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Arcare Established
Dr. Collier was well known in Woodruff County as a highly skilled and respected medical professional and active community leader. He had seen first-hand the difference high-quality healthcare made in the lives of his patients. Rural towns desperately needed accessible healthcare, and a dream that had taken root in previous years began to grow.
On February 1, 1986, the White River Rural Health Center, what would later be known as Arcare, was established. This private, nonprofit corporation began with four original clinics and only 18 employees.
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Health for All
Congress approved the guidelines for Federally Qualified Health Centers in 1990, allowing all patients to be seen regardless of their ability to pay. With this new distinction, the vision of Health for All finally felt like a possibility.
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New Services & More Clinics
Over the next 20 years, White River Rural Health opened 14 new clinics and two pharmacies. Medical services expanded to include perinatal care, chiropractics, pharmaceutical care, breast cancer screenings and education, smoking cessation, obstetrics, and AIDS/HIV management. Diabetes research and programs began, laying the groundwork for what would become the chronic disease and coordinated care division of Arcare.
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Major Expansion
The Arcare name was established in 2010 along with the Arkansas Family Health Foundation, our philanthropic arm. Between 2011 and 2023 the network exploded. School partnerships were established and school-based health centers opened in 19 districts. Services grew to include behavioral health, rheumatology, nutrition, cardiology, and medically assisted treatment (MAT) programs. KentuckyCare and MississippiCare clinics were opened, expanding the footprint to include two new states. The COVID-19 pandemic demanded adaptability. Telehealth technology allowed patients to be seen via computer screen, and Infinity Care Solutions, a home-delivery pharmacy, offered all patients doorstep delivery. Natural disasters and community health events revealed a need for care on wheels, so three mobile health units joined the ranks. Work-day childcare availability was scarce, so two Childcare Centers for Education were opened, too.
Rooted in Community – Present Day
Seventy-three clinics, 18 pharmacies, and 1,481 employees later, Arcare still strives to remain true to its roots.
"That very first knock on the door of that mother is the story of Arcare," said Winston Collier. "We try really hard to still be that small-town person you can trust, the physician you can rely on, the place that you know you can go and be treated with dignity. A patient's health journey can be complicated, but treating every person regardless of their plight in life – there's nothing complicated about that."
