ALYSSA FREEMAN

Freeman Health System, based in Missouri, has agreed to purchase four Arkansas hospitals for $112 million. The deal covers the 128‑bed Northwest Medical Center in Bentonville, the 222‑bed center in Springdale, a 64‑bed women’s hospital in Willow Creek, and the 73‑bed Siloam Springs Regional Hospital

Alyssa Tapley was just 13 when doctors told her she had a rare form of leukemia and that they had run out of treatment options. But a breakthrough in gene editing, funded by federal grants, saved her life. Today, at 16, she is cancer-free. This success story highlights the importance of university r