LITTLE ROCK, Ark., April 24, 2026 - Advocates, survivors, health professionals and community leaders from across Arkansas gathered at the state Capitol recently for the American Heart Association's Arkansas Heart at the Capitol, urging lawmakers to advance commonsense policies that improve maternal health and save lives. Sixty-five advocates filled a full day at the state Capitol with briefings, advocacy training and face-to-face conversations with House and Senate members, sharing firsthand perspectives on pregnancy, recovery and family health.
The event concluded with coordinated lawmaker meetings aimed at elevating maternal and family health priorities during the current legislative session. "It was one of our biggest advocacy days in Arkansas," said Dave Oberembt, government relations director for the American Heart Association in Arkansas.
"Our advocates are really motivated to improve maternal health and, in particular, extending postpartum Medicaid coverage.
Advocates, survivors, clinicians and community leaders convened at the Arkansas State Capitol on April 24, 2026, for the American Heart Association’s (AHA) Arkansas Heart at the Capitol.
The day-long advocacy event combined briefings, skills training and direct meetings with state legislators to press for policy changes aimed at improving maternal and family health in Arkansas, with particular emphasis on extending postpartum Medicaid coverage and expanding paid family medical leave.
Sixty-five participants attended the program, which included issue briefings, advocacy and storytelling instruction, a legislative luncheon and scheduled face-to-face meetings with members of both the Arkansas House and Senate.
Organizers captured the day’s engagement with a group photograph that included Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
The program was coordinated and led by AHA staff and volunteer leaders, including Dave Oberembt, who serves as the AHA’s government relations director for Arkansas, and Cori Keller, a member of the AHA–Central Arkansas board of directors.
Event speakers and organizers characterized both measures as evidence-based and broadly popular among Arkansans.
Advocates and health professionals at the Capitol linked the proposed policy changes to maternal health outcomes.
They highlighted that heart disease and stroke are among leading causes of maternal mortality, and they noted that many pregnancy-associated deaths occur weeks to months after delivery.
From this perspective, extended postpartum coverage was presented as important for timely detection, follow-up and treatment of conditions that may emerge after childbirth.
Organizers cited polling that they reported as indicating strong bipartisan public support for paid family medical leave, including a survey figure described as near-universal favorability for expanding such leave.
Speakers at the event framed the advocacy as grassroots-driven: survivors and community leaders shared personal narratives about pregnancy complications and cardiovascular conditions in the peripartum period.
AHA leaders characterized the gathering as one of the largest advocacy days the organization has held in Arkansas and depicted participants as motivated to advance maternal health reforms.
Governor Sanders’ meeting with advocates was presented by organizers as an indication of growing attention among state leadership to these priorities.
The AHA positioned the initiative within its broader mission to reduce cardiovascular disease and stroke and to promote equitable health across communities.
The organization described its longer-term efforts as including research funding, public health advocacy and community resources, and it promoted its Heart Powered movement and public communication channels for additional information.
The event demonstrated organized stakeholder mobilization around maternal health in Arkansas, signaling potential pressure on state policymakers to consider extending postpartum Medicaid coverage and expanding paid family leave.
Open questions remaining from the report include whether specific legislative vehicles are under consideration, how policymakers will respond, and what measurable policy or clinical outcomes organizers expect if the proposed changes are enacted.
The source does not provide follow-up timelines or next steps for advocacy beyond urging action during the current legislative session.