Baptist Health to open new urgent care center in Fort Smith, add up to 15 jobs

Little Rock-based Baptist Health plans to invest at least $800,000 and create up to 15 jobs in opening a new urgent care center in Fort Smith. The 3,300-square-foot center will be located at 7600 Rogers Ave., near Hank’s Furniture.

Baptist Health, in a joint venture with Urgent Team, one of the Southeast’s largest independent operators of urgent and family care centers, has urgent care centers in Little Rock, North Little Rock, Jacksonville, Cabot, Bryant and Benton, according to a statement from Baptist. The Fort Smith facility will be the seventh center operated by Baptist Health.

“We are very pleased, as we continue our expansion, to open an on-demand urgent care center in the Fort Smith community. We look forward to serving the people of Fort Smith and we remain committed to providing quality, affordable and convenient medical care to all ages,” said Mike Dupuis, Urgent Team division vice president.

Baptist officials plan to open the center on Sept. 16, and it will be open seven days a week. Hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m on Sunday. The center will initially employ two full-time nurse practitioners, two part-time nurse practicers and office staff.

The center will provide urgent and family care, and wellness services on a walk-in basis. Care services will include sthma and allergies, ear and eye injuries, flu, colds and viral illnesses, bites, stings, allergic reactions, broken bones, sprains, strains, school, sports, wellness and DOT physicals, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, immunizations and vaccinations, and medically supervised weight loss

Baptist Health System acquired Sparks Health System from Franklin, Tenn.-based Community Health Systems (CHS) in late 2018. At the time, Sparks hospitals and clinics in Fort Smith and Van Buren employed 1,574 employees and about 500 contracted staff and physicians.

Baptist Health first opened in 1921 as an affiliate of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention. The hospital is now the state’s largest network with nine hospitals – Little Rock, North Little Rock, Arkadelphia, Heber Springs, Stuttgart, BH Rehabilitation Institute, BH Extended Care Hospital, Hot Spring County and Conway. The network also includes a 400-resident retirement village, and the state’s largest schools of nursing and allied health, plus wellness centers and a home health network.