NAPHE & NWAEDD Announce New Partnership

Left to Right: Carroll Gilley, Joe Willis, Patty Methvin, Kyle Evatt, Courtney Roberts, Ross Parker, Delbert McCutchen, Jeremy Ragland, Sherri Hinrichs, Debbie Johnson 

(Harrison, Arkansas) After almost 3 decades of providing community health education programs and services to Baxter, Boone, Carroll, Marion, Newton, and Searcy Counties, North Arkansas Partnership for Health Education, Inc. (NAPHE) recently took steps to solidify its growth and expansion for the future by aligning its flagship and award-winning community health and substance misuse prevention activities with the Northwest Arkansas Economic Development District, Inc. (NWAEDD).   Effective July 1, 2026, NAPHE officially became a division of NWAEDD, and all programs and services will now continue under District leadership.

NAPHE Board President Debbie Johnson says “Over the last almost 30 years, NAPHE has implemented crucial health education activities for the residents of the region, many of which have earned local, state, and national recognition for excellence. Our executive director and several of our long-term community board members have now reached a point in time where they would like to fully embrace retirement life. Wanting the absolute best for NAPHE’s future, the board of directors felt it especially important to seek out a local non-profit agency both qualified and willing to continue the mission and full range of NAPHE services without any gaps in programming.  Today we are incredibly pleased to announce that NAPHE programs, resources, and staffing have transitioned to NWAEDD, whose expert leadership is fully committed to delivering existing programs and growing new efforts in an expanded geographic service region that will take NAPHE successfully into the future”.

According to Sherri Hinrichs, retiring Executive Director for NAPHE, “We could not be more excited to know that this transition will facilitate continued health education programs for residents of this region, and we are confident that NWAEDD will be a key factor in enhancing capacity for ongoing community services of excellence.”

NAPHE will no longer operate as an independent non-profit and its programs will continue forward under NWAEDD at 818 Hwy. 62-65-412 North in Harrison (in the shopping center right behind Colton’s Restaurant).

Joe Willis, Executive Director of NWAEDD, says “The NAPHE partnership with NWAEDD was a natural choice for us to expand our regional services.  We look forward to collaborating with new and existing community partners to support and grow health education activities that are responsive to identified needs in the region. Area residents or agencies interested in community health education projects and/or substance misuse prevention programs may contact us at 870-741-5404.”