Mission and Purpose of Agency
The Health Services Permit Agency, with direction from a nine member Health Services Permit Commission, is responsible for issuing Permits of Approval (POAs) for Nursing Homes, Residential Care Facilities, Assisted Living Facilities, Home Health and Hospice Agencies, Psychiatric Residential Care Facilities and Intermediate Care Facilities for the Mentally Retarded.

The Commission/Agency mission is to ensure appropriate distribution of health care providers through the regulation of new services, protection of quality care and negotiation of competing interests so that community needs are appropriately met without unnecessary duplication and expense.

Goals and Objectives
Evaluate the availability and adequacy of health facilities and health services as they relate
to long term care facilities and home health care service agencies in Arkansas.

Designate those areas of the state and specify categories of health services which are underserved or overserved, and exempt certain underserved areas or categories of service from the permit of approval process.

Develop policies and adopt criteria for the review of applications and issuing of permits of approval.