The Journal of the Arkansas Medical Society Med Journal July 2019 Final 2 | Page 12
by CASEY L. PENN
Reorganization of Boards in Arkansas
Presenter: Nate Smith, MD, MPH
Director & State Health Officer
Arkansas Department of Health
N
athanial Smith, MD, MPH, the many boards, commissions, and agencies into a
structure where their purpose, their mission, is aligned
acts as director and state and they have real access to the governor and can be
health officer for the Ar- [better] managed.”
kansas Department of Health. In his Background
address to AMS physicians at the annual meeting, Dr.
Nate Smith, MD, MPH
Smith gave the mem-
bers in attendance an
overview of coming re-
organization of boards
in the state. “The reor-
ganization of boards,”
he explained, “is part
of a larger plan by the
governor to reorganize
state
government.
The idea is to bring
Act 1202 of 2015 created a committee to re-
view and make recommendations for realigning
state government in a similar framework as a federal
cabinet. The previous structure had 42 cabinet level
positions and over 200 boards and commissions.
The Transformation and Efficiencies Act (2019) de-
creases the number of cabinet level positions to 15.
Under the new plan, many boards and commis-
sions that were formerly separate will be moved un-
der the umbrella of the Arkansas Health Department.
Some will move out of the ADH into newly created
agencies. All that come under the ADH will align with
the ADH mission, which is “to protect and improve the
health and well-being of all Arkansans.”
“There are legal and administrative aspects that
will be worked out as the process moves along,” said
Smith, alluding to the reality that many things were
undecided at the time of his presentation. “However, I
do know that the boards and commissions that move
under the ADH umbrella will retain their ability to make
autonomous decisions, retain their independent fund-
ing streams, continue to promulgate their own rules
and regulations, and their members will continue to
be appointed as before.”
Implementation of the new system is planned
for July 1, 2019. For more information, contact Nate
Smith at ADH.
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12 • THE JOURNAL OF THE ARKANSAS MEDICAL SOCIETY
VOLUME 116