As a company whose primary concern is the health and well-being of its members and their local communities, the executive team at Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield made a commitment of substantial effort and resources to help keep people safe. When the long-anticipated release of COVID-19 vaccines was announced early in 2021, Arkansas Blue Cross knew they wanted to do something statewide that would hopefully bring the pandemic to a timely end. But they knew they could not do it alone. They joined forces with their core and community partners to announce Vaccinate the Natural State, an initiative to encourage Arkansans to get their COVID-19 vaccine. This initiative is a collaboration with multiple business and community organizations statewide to educate and engage Arkansans in doing their part to help stop the pandemic by getting the vaccination.

For 55 years, Arkansas PBS has been committed to enhancing lives by providing lifelong learning opportunities for people of all ages and all walks of life. As the only statewide public media outlet, Arkansas PBS has played a vital role in educating, informing, engaging and inspiring audiences in every corner of the state.

Surgeons at Baptist Health NeurosurgeryArkansas Satellite Clinic-Conway allow patients to stay close to home in Faulkner County and still receive Arkansas’ most comprehensive neurosurgery care.

In August, operations will begin at the first mass timber manufacturing facility in the United States, introducing a new product and new occupations to central Arkansas. Headquartered in British Columbia, Canada, in the city of Penticton, Structurlam was established in 1962 and is the leading mass timber manufacturer in North America. The company announced in December 2019 that it was expanding its mass timber operations to the U.S. with a plant in Conway, Arkansas, investing $90 million to purchase, retrofit, and equip a former steel plant and create 130 new jobs.

Pain Treatment Centers of America (PTCOA) is the largest, fully comprehensive, pain management practice in Arkansas. With 10 locations across the state, including one in Conway, PTCOA’s team of dedicated physicians and nurse practitioners helps restore patients’ functionality and improve the quality of their daily lives.

A series of family-friendly events will take place over a 40-day period.

Between Jan. 26 and March 5, UCA School of Nursing students and faculty have administered nearly 6,000 vaccines and served more than 900 hours.

A low cost of living, slower pace, natural beauty, and broadband internet access make small cities like Conway an attractive option for employees who have the newfound freedom to work from anywhere.

With a vaccine on the ground and a strategic plan underway, Conway is preparing to spring forward into 2021.