Health Care Providers Investing in Fort Smith
Mercy Fort Smith
Growing to Serve the River Valley
Mercy Fort Smith, a 336-bed hospital on Rogers Avenue, is dedicated to providing compassionate, comprehensive care close to home. With more than 60 clinics and outpatient facilities, Mercy served the River Valley with about 244,000 outpatient visits, almost 65,000 ER visits and 2,867 births in fiscal year 2024. Patients can schedule appointments online or through the MyMercy app, or visit Mercy.net/BookYourVisit to find a first-available appointment. (For more information about Mercy, visit mercy.net or call 479-314-6000.)
Mercy Fort Smith recently made a nearly $200 million investment to expand its emergency department and ICU. The project, which opened in May 2025, increased ER capacity from 29 to 50 rooms, ICU beds from 38 to 64 and added specialized spaces for infectious disease and behavioral health patients. Additional upgrades include more parking, a new gift shop and meeting spaces. Recent growth also includes the opening of Mercy Rehabilitation Hospital Fort Smith in 2021 and Mercy Clinic Sports Medicine – 79th Street in 2023. New primary care clinics have recently opened in Fort Smith, Alma, Poteau and Roland, along with an expanded clinic in Greenwood. Mercy also collaborates with Fort Smith Public Schools on a school-based health center, is home to the area’s only Level III NICU and has a Ronald McDonald House on site. Additionally, a new cancer center is under construction, with an expected completion in spring 2027. In October 2024, Mercy opened the first 65 Prime+ in Arkansas, a clinic designed for patients over 65.
Technology advancements include the GE Omni Legend PET/CT scanner, Mako Smart Robotics for joint replacements, the ROSA Knee System and DaVinci robotic surgery. Mercy Fort Smith has earned an “A” Leapfrog patient safety grade since 2016 and multiple awards for stroke care, cardiology and rural hospital performance. Mercy’s outreach includes McAuley Women’s Health – South 74th, serving uninsured and Medicaid-eligible patients, and its co-workers volunteer thousands of hours each year through the Volunteer Time Off program.
https://www.mercy.net/practice/mercy-hospital-fort-smith/
Baptist Health-Fort Smith
Located in downtown Fort Smith, Baptist Health-Fort Smith is a 492-bed medical center accredited by The Joint Commission. It operates one of the busiest emergency departments in Arkansas and provides advanced care in cardiology, neurology, pulmonology, oncology, orthopedics, and surgery—including minimally invasive procedures with the da Vinci robotic-assisted surgical system.
Baptist Health-Fort Smith is also leading the way in lung cancer care. The hospital was the first in the River Valley to introduce the Ion robotic-assisted bronchoscopy system, a groundbreaking tool for earlier and more accurate diagnosis. The Ion system enables physicians to biopsy small, hard-to-reach lung nodules, helping reduce delays in treatment and improving survival rates in a state with some of the nation’s highest lung cancer incidence and mortality.
The hospital is nationally recognized for its quality care in heart failure, chest pain, and stroke, and is supported by nearly 30 Baptist Health clinics in the River Valley, including La Clínica del Pueblo, which offers bilingual care for the Hispanic community.
Families have access to a wide range of birthing options, from natural deliveries to nitrous oxide (“laughing gas”) and other pain management choices. In addition to board-certified ObGyns, the hospital is also proud to offer the expertise of Certified Nurse Midwives, who provide personalized, holistic care before, during, and after childbirth.
Baptist Health-Fort Smith is also leading the way in lung cancer care. The hospital was the first in the River Valley to introduce the Ion robotic-assisted bronchoscopy system, a groundbreaking tool for earlier and more accurate diagnosis. The Ion system enables physicians to biopsy small, hard-to-reach lung nodules, helping reduce delays in treatment and improving survival rates in a state with some of the nation’s highest lung cancer incidence and mortality.
The hospital is nationally recognized for its quality care in heart failure, chest pain, and stroke, and is supported by nearly 30 Baptist Health clinics in the River Valley, including La Clínica del Pueblo, which offers bilingual care for the Hispanic community.
Families have access to a wide range of birthing options, from natural deliveries to nitrous oxide (“laughing gas”) and other pain management choices. In addition to board-certified ObGyns, the hospital is also proud to offer the expertise of Certified Nurse Midwives, who provide personalized, holistic care before, during, and after childbirth.
For more than 100 years, Baptist Health has delivered compassionate, innovative care through 12 hospitals and more than 250 access points across Arkansas. Learn more at baptist-health.com or call 1-888-BAPTIST.
For a full listing of healthcare providers who are members of the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce, click here:
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