FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Northwest Arkansas educators and policymakers met at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville Thursday to discuss the nutritional needs and wellness issues facing children in the region.
Pearl McElfish, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Vice-Chancellor, said it’s not enough for Northwest Arkansas to be the healthiest economic region in the state when so many children are at risk for food security, living in poverty and facing high obesity rates.
Ryan Cork, health ambassador for the Northwest Arkansas Council, said the event was aimed at laying the groundwork for an action plan to improve the health and well-being for the children today who will be the leaders for tomorrow.
Dr. Joe Thompson, CEO of Arkansas Center for Health Improvement in Little Rock and the keynote speaker, said this kind of grassroots effort is a great start to tackling some very hard issues around equal access and the just opportunity for good health.
“We don’t have a health care system in this country, we have a sick-care system,” Thompson said.
All the compensation and reimbursements for health care professionals are centered around treating the sick, not keeping people healthy, he explained.
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