Rural Health Funding: Baxter Health filed the first of four applications for Arkansas’ new federal rural health money, proposing THRIVE at Home to expand telehealth, emergency response, home-based care, remote monitoring, and a “Hospital at Home” model across nine north-central counties. Maternal Care Innovation: UAMS launched the ADAPT (Advancing Doulas and Perinatal Teams) Toolkit to help hospitals integrate doulas into maternity teams, with Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas using the approach to improve support during labor and delivery. Workforce & Tech Leadership: Arkansas State University professor Dr. Andrew “Drew” Fleming won the Emerging Research Leaders Program grant to build federal funding skills, while Pierce County (WA) named a new CIO to push cybersecurity and AI initiatives. Health & Safety Watch: Northeast Arkansas health officials report a sharp rise in alpha-gal syndrome after tick bites, warning reactions to red meat can appear months later. STEM in Action: UAMS emergency medicine residents trained for mass-casualty care using a realistic simulated bus-and-truck scenario. Community STEM Access: Lyon College opened its dental patient care clinic in Little Rock, partnering with the city and a local fund to support uninsured patients.