Больница St. Bernards получила 14,5 млн долларов на создание региональной сети здравоохранения и внедрение технологий

St. Bernards to use $14.5 million in state funding for regional health network, technology JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) - St. Bernards Healthcare is using $14.5 million of state funding to build a health care network across the region and invest in new technology. Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced Aug. 27 an investment of more than $149 million toward rural health care in Arkansas. Regional partnerships Josh Conlee, senior vice president of strategic services at St. Bernards, said the hospital is working with other facilities in the region. “So, we’re working with hospitals in Walnut Ridge, Five Rivers Medical Center in Pocahontas, Crossridge Community Hospital down in Wynne, and then, in January, in a relationship in Mississippi counties,” Conlee said. Conlee said staff members study local data to determine what each community needs. “We assess, you know, not only again, what the communities state that they need, but also what our data tells us, kind of saying, ‘Hey, we may need a cardiologist to go here, or a pulmonologist to go there,’ to provide that care alone,” Conlee said. New technology St. Bernards is also putting some of the funding into new technology, including smart rooms. “Right now, we are investing technologies across our system. One that we’re excited about is smart rooms. Now, what is a smart room?” Conlee said. A smart room is a hospital room with a TV that has a high-resolution camera and a two-way microphone, allowing health care providers to check in and provide care even if they are not in the room or in the same town. “We’re always proud of that, you know. Our communities come to us and ... we’re able to provide care to them. So they come back. Ultimately, we try to drive that patient experience to make sure that we are providing the care that they need, but also that we’re doing it in a high-quality fashion,” Conlee said. Conlee said the services funded by the investment also benefit the local economy, which is estimated to receive up to $50 million. To report a typo or correction, please click here. Copyright 2026 KAIT. All rights reserved.