Sparks Health Opens New Orthopedic and Spine Center

Fort Smith-based Sparks Health System recently opened its new Orthopedic and Spine Center on the fifth floor of Sparks Regional Medical Center at 1001 Towson Ave.

The new, nine-bed unit took about five months to complete at a budgeted cost of $3 million. Hospital and city officials held a ribbon-cutting event on Oct. 29.

Hospital officials said the center has helped to simplify joint replacement surgery with minimally invasive, robotic-assisted surgery and a cohesive treatment plan.

“The unit has been open a few weeks and I’m quite impressed by the difference it has made,” Sparks orthopedic surgeon John Harp said. “Our outcomes are significantly better and complication rates are lower.”

Harp said the goal of the center is to provide coordinated care and get joint replacement patients back to their daily activities as soon as possible after surgery.

The approach includes private rooms with bathrooms, a dining room for patients and their coaches, exercise and therapy in a group setting and an informative pre-op class for patients and family members.

“Joint replacement patients aren’t necessarily ill, they’re generally healthy people who are ready to get back to their active lifestyles,” Harp explained.