According to the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement's analysis of Northwest Arkansas in 2019, nearly $240m of the $1.1b spent on Medicare enrollee's healthcare went towards services provided outside of the region.

• Finding specialists: Considering cardiology procedures performed on Medicare-enrolled residents, 11% sought care outside of Northwest Arkansas. Specifically, 14% of coronary artery bypass grafting surgeries and 20% of heart valve replacement surgeries occurred outside the region.
• Keeping pace: These findings raise concerns about the supply and demand for healthcare providers in Northwest Arkansas. As the population grows, our health sector has a unique opportunity to expand and innovate.

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