Fort Smith ER & Hospital opens on Phoenix Avenue
Area sees additional health investment with Mercy expansion
FORT SMITH — A new hospital has opened to provide health care for River Valley residents.
The Fort Smith ER & Hospital at 4701 Phoenix Ave. off Interstate 540 was founded by board-certified emergency physicians and Nutex Health Inc.
According to the hospital’s website, it opened with a mission to put patients first with “top-notch emergency room nurses, medical technicians and technical staff.” It also notes the hospital’s cutting edge technology with the most advanced imaging and diagnostic equipment available and a full clinical laboratory, including CT scans, ultrasound and x-ray.
“No matter the injury or illness, our facility is ready and equipped to provide you with the emergency care you deserve 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. And with an average wait time of five minutes, you’ll be on your way to feeling your best quicker than ever,” the website states.
The Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce announced the opening of the hospital on its Facebook page Monday.
The chamber noted the hospital offers clinical, pediatrics, imaging and laboratory services. Its post said the hospital has four inpatient beds and eight emergency room beds in the 18,000-square-foot, state-ofthe-art emergency room, as well as an on-site laboratory.
“Patients will be met with the convenience of emergency care in the comfort of a pleasant environment, friendly faces, a short wait, and ample one-on-one time with a physician,” the post states. “No matter the injury or illness a patient presents, the Fort Smith ER & Hospital’s staff is prepared to serve the community.
“Fort Smith ER & Hospital looks forward to exceeding the health and safety expectations with an enthusiastic staff ready to serve all in the Fort Smith community and surrounding areas.”
Fort Smith is also home to Baptist Health-Fort Smith and Mercy Hospital Fort Smith.
In 2022 alone, Mercy had 158 physicians tend to 226,539 outpatient visits across its 37 clinic and outpatient locations, according to the hospital’s website.
“We look forward to working collaboratively with Fort Smith ER and Hospital
in caring for the patients we are called to serve in the Arkansas River Valley,” said Mardi Taylor, Mercy’s senior communications coordinator.
At his state of the city address on Monday, Mayor George McGill said one of the key pillars of a good community is having a strong health base. He recognized Mercy Hospital’s more than $160 million expansion at 7301 Rogers Ave.
The hospital plans to expand its emergency room from 29 to 50 rooms and the intensive care unit from 38 to 64 beds, which Mercy says will allow it to care for an additional 25,000 patients each year. The expansion will also include the construction of a two-floor parking garage and other service lots creating more than 140 parking spaces for the campus.
Construction is projected to end in 2024 and result in 300 permanent direct and indirect jobs across the River Valley totaling more than $25 million.