Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
DHS outlines 2020 pandemic response, ARES pilot, Narcan results and plans to expand crisis capacity
Summary
Secretary Cindy Gillespie briefed the committee on DHS—s 2020 accomplishments and near-term plans: ARES pilot launched in five counties, automated background checks and waiver-tracking systems advanced, Narcan Saves program credited with roughly 735 lives saved, and rule changes proposed to expand acute crisis units and adjust Medicaid rates for physicians and personal care workers.
Secretary Cindy Gillespie told the Senate Public Health, Welfare and Labor Committee that 2020 was an exceptionally active year for the Department of Human Services, driven by the COVID-19 pandemic and an urgent need to adapt systems.
Gillespie said DHS reviewed 26 rules in 2020 and had 10 more on the committee agenda, credited numerous partner organizations for rapid pandemic response, and announced the Arkansas Integrated Eligibility and Benefit Management System (ARES) launched a pilot in five counties that day. "That is years in the making," she said,…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
