Fort Smith ER & Hospital is always open, even on holidays, 24/7, 365 days of the year.
Fort Smith ER & Hospital treats the full range of medical emergencies. As a full-service ER We can diagnose and treat everything from a rashes to a heart attack. We also treat physical trauma and injuries from accidents including industrial accidents and automobile accidents.
Fort Smith ER & Hospital treats patients of all ages, from newborn infants through to elderly adults. We pride ourselves on being “child friendly” and even have a special exam room designed to help put our younger patients at ease.
There is no need to make an appointment with Fort Smith ER & Hospital. If you think you might be having a medical emergency we encourage you to come in immediately. Fort Smith ER & Hospital can also help if you are sick or injured but are new to the area, are visiting from out of town, or simply cannot get in to see your regular doctor.
It depends entirely on your condition, and we can provide a estimated cost of care before any sort of treatment if you come in for a complimentary basic medical screening.
Fort Smith ER & Hospital is open 24/7 whereas by contrast an urgent care clinic will typically only be open 8-12 hours a day. Emergency rooms like Fort Smith ER & Hospital are also equipped with advanced, radiology equipment and lab testing capabilities. By contrast urgent care clinics usually have more limited laboratory and radiology testing. Another important difference between the two is that Fort Smith ER & Hospital is staffed by board-certified emergency room physicians and ER-trained Registered Nurses. Whereas, urgent care clinics may only be staffed by Physician’s Assistants or Nurse Practitioners.
As a standalone emergency center, Fort Smith ER & Hospital features much shorter wait times than typical hospital-based emergency rooms. Fort Smith ER & Hospital doesn’t take patients from 911 ambulance services, therefore minimizing patient volume. Fort Smith ER & Hospital’s board-certified ER physicians and experienced Registered Nurses are able to see you more promptly and efficiently, helping you get better and back in the comfort of your home sooner.
If you need to be admitted to a hospital for additional care, Fort Smith ER & Hospital will transfer you to the hospital you choose, or the one that your primary care physician or medical specialists prefer. Our staff is also able to initiate the transfer so that you go directly to an inpatient room and can bypass the hospital’s emergency department.
Yes, our diagnostic lab is both CLIA and COLA certified. We can perform the majority of tests that hospital-based ERs perform. These tests are processed onsite, so we can get you the results while you wait. Typical turnaround time for lab results at Fort Smith ER & Hospital is 15 minutes.
Yes, our Radiology Department is equipped with modern medical equipment including an X-ray , CT scanner, MRI and bedside Ultrasound equipment. Patients are given written radiology reports along with CDs so that they can follow up with primary care physicians or specialists if needed.
We are not in network with some insurances, but we will honor all in network benefits per the No Surprises Act. However for all cases deemed emergent, Arkansas state law requires your insurance company to pay for your emergency care, even if the emergency room is classified as out-of-network. Arkansas law requires your insurance carrier to pay for your emergency care, whether the emergency room is “in network” or “out of network”.
Yes, Fort Smith ER & Hospital always puts patients’ emergency medical needs first. If you are deemed “non-emergent” by one of our emergency physicians and do not have health insurance in place you will still have the option of using a cash-fee plan to pay for your ER visit.
You will be asked to pay your emergency room copay at the end of your visit.
Your ER visit will be processed by Nutex Health, and sent to your insurance company.
Fort Smith ER & Hospital accepts cash payments, checks, or major credit cards including Visa, MasterCard and Discover. Click here to pay your bill online.
To learn more, visit our Billing & Insurance page.
State law requires patients to be reimbursed for emergency room visits by their insurance carrier. If your insurance company refuses payment for your emergency room visit, you can file a grievance with the Arkansas Department of Insurance. To learn more about the Arkansas Department of Insurance, 800-852-5494.
You can also contact our Billing Department at 713-357-2535.