Health Care in Fort Smith

The Fort Smith Region is fortunate to have a complete medical community including dedicated facilities for heart disease and cancer treatment. With physicians practicing in all major specialties utilizing the leading-edge radiologic technology, it is no wonder that this area is a regional diagnostic and treatment center for all of western Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma.

Two major medical centers, Sparks and St. Edward Mercy in Fort Smith strive for disease prevention and health maintenance by offering full-service fitness programs at each facility. Together, these facilities provide more than 1,000 in-patient beds and state-of-the-art diagnostic technology. More than 400,000 residents in a two-state area have access to specialized heart, cancer treatment and ambulatory surgery centers, in addition to rehabilitation, psychiatric and long-term care facilities.

Fort Smith also boasts Cooper Clinic – the largest physician-owned multi-specialty group in Arkansas. Founded in 1920, the clinic has 100 providers in 25 specialties in 17 locations in the Fort Smith region.  They are a recognized leader in diagnostic technology including Bi-lateral Breast MRI, PET Scans, and Lower Radiation CT scans.

Fort Smith is also home to the Area Health Education Center that trains up to eight doctors each year. These residents can choose between an obstetrician or a general, family physician track and are trained in the cognitive and procedural skills needed to become a first-class doctor. AHEC’s family medical center is a modern, 21,000 square-foot facility with 16 exam rooms in a three-team area. The clinic averages 2,000 patients a month.

The University of Arkansas - Fort Smith also graduates hundreds of health providers in the region each year and offers numerous health sciences programs and degrees including dental hygiene, nursing, radiography, respiratory care and surgical technology. The dental hygiene program maintains a 100 percent pass rate on all board examinations since the beginning of the program and according to scores from the American Dental Association, UA Fort Smith students typically score more than 3 points above the national average on exams. The radiography program also maintains a 100 percent pass rate on all board examinations since the beginning of the program.

The medical establishments in the region offer a complete support system of specialty programs that allow physicians to achieve the best possible outcome for their patients. With five hospitals in the Fort Smith Region, a 200-plus doctor clinic and four other health agencies, our residents are afforded some of the best health care in the nation.

Fort Smith cares for children with special needs at its neonatal ICU, Bost, Inc., and the Gregory Kistler Treatment Center that hopes to provide an opportunity for all children to lead full, productive lives with the assistance of occupational therapy, physical therapy and speech-language therapy. The Donald W. Reynolds Cancer Support House offers education, encouragement and hope to those undergoing cancer treatment in the Fort Smith Region.

Health care is big business for the Fort Smith Region accounting for more than 20,000 jobs in -the area. Golden Living – which operates hundreds of living centers and living communities that provide quality nursing and rehab care to more than 30,000 patients each year – houses its corporate headquarters in Fort Smith. Numerous medical facilities are top employers in the region including the Area Agency on Aging, Bost, Cooper Clinic, St. Edward Mercy Health System and Sparks Health System. 

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