Before 2023, Fort Smith lacked medical facility options for its residents. The city had been dealing with overcrowded emergency departments and a lack of concierge-level care for the local community. After analyzing the area's market and discussing the state of local healthcare with investing physicians, Nutex Health determined the area needed additional healthcare in the form of a micro-hospital with both an emergency room and primary care options. They had previously built similar hospitals throughout Arkansas that had been successful and wanted to bring these services to the Fort Smith community.

 

Crafton Tull partnered with RPPY Architects to design the hospital, conveniently located near I-540 at 4701 Phoenix Avenue. Crafton Tull provided civil engineering, land surveying, and construction inspection services for the new 18,600-square-foot facility. Due to the building being located in a highly trafficked commercial area, an emergency entrance lane and a drive-thru lane were included to effectively ease traffic flow to and from the facility.

the parking lot layout is efficient for patients and medical personnel

The highly anticipated hospital offers 24/7, year-round access to outpatient and inpatient medical care. Their board-certified physicians and licensed ER doctors offer full-service, top-tier adult and pediatric emergency care to address a wide range of medical emergencies. Dr. John Weddle, DO, is a partner and medical director for the ER and hospital. He said that the hospital differs from other facilities because they offer bedside physician care, lower volumes of emergency department patients, and a more rapid workup and evaluation of most common complaints. They also maintain nurse ratios of 4:1 and employ experienced ED nurses who help facilitate the care of patients.

 

Weddle said the location has exceeded growth in all areas of the center, including emergency department care, observation admissions, full inpatient admissions, and development of outpatient imaging and lab services. The emergency hospital is equipped with a CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) and COLA (Commission on Office Laboratory Accreditation)-certified diagnostic laboratory to offer high-resolution diagnostic imaging capabilities for patients. The hospital staff also adopted innovative technology to diagnose bacterial and viral infections in 15 minutes with the MeMed BV Test.

full-service care is offered for a variety of medical needs

The emergency hospital’s mission is to put patients first and offer concierge-level care with the convenience of an emergency room while also focusing on patient comfort and ample one-on-one time with a physician. Some of their previous accomplishments include receiving Silver in the ‘Best Hospital’ category in the Best of River Valley awards and placing top three for ‘Best Hospital’ in the 2023 Fort Smith Community Choice Awards. The facility continues to develop the cardiac care system and has added several new physicians to the clinical staff. Their team is also partnering with local primary care providers to support and develop an independent clinic to provide further care options for the community.

the expanding team provides individual physician care

The hospital enables physicians to care for 1,200-1,500 patients per month, and they anticipate growth at a second facility once the existing location reaches its maximum capacity in Fort Smith. Crafton Tull Project Manager Michelle Dodroe, P.E. said her team is glad to have the opportunity to be a part of this project.

the hospital accommodates fort smith's current needs but will likely expand to a second location once it reaches maximum capacity