Review of Baptist Health System in Arkansas

What is Baptist Health System in Arkansas?

Baptist Health System is the largest not-for-profit healthcare organization in Arkansas.

It offers services at more than 200 locations throughout the state and has a robust community outreach program that supports a comprehensive schedule of services for patients young and old.

Baptist Health will improve the health of Arkansans by changing the way healthcare is delivered.

The Baptist Health Belief

Baptist Health is more than a business –– it is a healing ministry. The healing ministry is based on the revelation of God through creation, the Bible, and Jesus Christ. At Baptist Health, care of the whole person ­­–– body, mind, and spirit –– is an expression of Christian faith. Baptist Health is an instrument of God’s restorative power and is responsible for giving compassionate care.

The Baptist Health Mission

Baptist Health exists to provide quality patient-centered services, promote and protect the voluntary not-for-profit healthcare system, provide quality health education, and respond to the changing health needs of the residents of Arkansas with Christian compassion and personal concern.

The Baptist Health Values

In fulfilling its mission, Baptist Health places special emphasis on the values of service, honesty, respect, stewardship, and performance.

  • Service – Quality service is the foundation of any successful business and is even more essential in the provision of healthcare. Success is dependent on each employee’s desire and commitment to serve others.
  • Honesty – Adherence to the moral values of fairness, integrity, and honor in all relationships is a major priority.
  • Respect – All people are to be treated as individuals with courtesy and thoughtfulness. Respect for each person’s dignity and worth is essential. Patients are to be treated with concern and compassion.
  • Stewardship – We prudently commit our resources, using our talents and strengths in an effective and efficient manner. Our facilities and equipment are maintained with pride.
  • Performance – Desired characteristics of Baptist Health employees include initiative, dedication, talent, and knowledge tempered by common sense. The highest possible performance from all employees is expected, but never at the expense of our values. It is imperative that complacency and mediocrity be avoided through innovation and progress.

What is the community outreach component of Baptist Health?

Baptist Health serves Arkansas’ uninsured, under-insured and under-served populations through health education, risk factor screenings and public policy.

The organization’s Community Outreach efforts have been recognized by the National Research Corporation as Arkansas’ “Best Community Health Program.”

Baptist Health’s community outreach takes on many forms:

Classes

At any time, Baptist Health offers more than 800 classes around the state on dozens of topics.  For a current listing of these classes, go here.

Baptist Health Community Wellness Centers

Community-based partnerships with churches, founded with the primary mission of creating healthier communities among Arkansas’ uninsured, underinsured and underserved populations. Free services include health education, care coordination, immunizations and screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar, among others.

Go here for a complete listing of locations and events.

You can also call the Baptist Health HealthLine at 1-888-227-8478.

Baptist Health Mobile Health Unit

This is a “clinic on wheels” that provides health screenings, first-aid care and health education.

Southeast Pulaski County Hometown Health Coalition

This is a community-driven project dedicated to improving health through planned programs, serving the communities of College Station, Hensley, Higgins, Sweet Home, Woodson and Wrightsville.

Go here for a complete listing of locations and events.

Watershed Initiative

The Baptist Health System water shed initiative provides health screenings to an underserved population.

Annual Christmas Screening

This service is provided by Watershed Inc., in partnership with Baptist Health. It offers free blood pressure and blood sugar screenings during December.

Baptist Health Community Clinic-First Presbyterian Church

This program provides basic healthcare to homeless individuals in a soup kitchen setting. Funded by a grant from Bank of America, services include blood pressure and blood sugar screenings, basic first aid, flu shots (October and November), diabetes risk assessments and more. Clients also receive water bottles during the summer months and knit caps, gloves and sweat suits in the winter months.

Baptist Health Children’s Programs

P.A.R.K. After-School Program

An innovative after-school and summer program for at-risk youth. It strives to give young people the skills and confidence to succeed in school and life.

Among other things, it serves snacks to 200 students Tuesdays through Fridays during the school year. Baptist Health also provides hot lunches Monday through Thursday during the summer.

For more information on this program, call Baptist Health HealthLine toll-free at 1-888-227-8478.

Baptist Health Community Immunization Program for Children.

During August, this program administers free immunizations to school-aged children and free physicals to preschool-aged children in underserved communities.

Immunizations are offered in church-based settings, community centers and on the Mobile Health Unit.  If you have Medicaid, please bring proof of coverage. Please also bring shot records.

For more information on this program, call Baptist Health HealthLine toll-free at 1-888-227-8478.

Cooking with Community Outreach

Classes are taught by a registered dietitian and will help participants gain confidence in the kitchen and learn about foods.

All classes are held at A Partnership for a Healthy Arkansas building, 10117 Kanis Road, Little Rock and are open to ages 8-15.

Healthy Children’s Initiative

Encourages children and adolescents to improve their health through good nutrition and physical activity. Children are provided a Baptist Health Eat to Win Fast Food Map, a tool that makes it easy to find and select healthier options at fast food restaurants.

Baptist Health Programs for Women:

Heaven’s Loft Wellness Center for New or Expectant Mothers

Provides free health education, screening and resources to expectant and new mothers. Education includes everything from childbirth and breastfeeding to infant care and parenting.

The Center also serves as a baby supply store, awarding parents vouchers from various healthcare providers and health agencies in the community when they keep preventive maternity care or childcare appointments. Open to any parent needing help obtaining items for their child, the supply store offers diapers, wipes, toiletries, clothing, car seats and other infant care items. Free health screening services are also provided to parents.

For more information, please call (501) 202-1540.

Community-Based Prenatal Classes

Free resource to low-income pregnant women, providing information and assistance on a variety of topics: nutrition and physical fitness, breastfeeding education, assistance with WIC enrollment and much more. Special baby gifts are given as door prizes at the end of each class.  For more information about community-based prenatal classes, call 1-888-227-8478.

Sister-to-Sister: Move More, Eat Better

This is a free program to encourage women, especially African-American women, to maintain a healthy weight by becoming more physically active and eating better. This program is the first of its kind offered to African-American women in Arkansas.  To learn more about the Sister-to-Sister program, call 1-888-227-8478.

The Baptist Health Foundation

Baptist Health Foundation supports a wide variety of needs, programs and projects in the Baptist Health System, but its mission is to Give Happy.

Donors are encouraged to give happiness to those in the community and experience the happiness that comes from giving. Whether it’s food for a family in need, a hotel room for a family with a baby in NICU, a scholarship for a deserving nurse or technology that will revolutionize healthcare in Arkansas, each dollar received goes towards improving the lives of Arkansans.

How to Volunteer

To volunteer for any of Baptist Health’s community outreach programs, go here.

You can also contact one of the following volunteer coordinators.

Baptist Health Medical Center-Little Rock and BHRI:

Adult Volunteer inquires – Sterling Rowell at (501) 202-6332
Teen Volunteer inquiries – Jim Gibbons at (501) 202-2192

Baptist Health Medical Center-North Little Rock

Linda Scott at (501) 202-3050

Baptist Health Medical Center-Conway

Sterling Rowell at (501) 202-6332

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What types of facilitates does Baptist Health System in Arkansas operate?

Baptist Health delivers care to patients at more than 200 points of access throughout Arkansas.  Facilities include clinics, hospitals, therapy centers, urgent care facilities, wellness centers, and specialty medicine locations for a wide variety of services: hospice, joint and spine care, skilled nursing, Alzheimer’s disease care, wound care, men’s and women’s health, senior care, preschools, orthopedics, imaging, and more.

In addition, Baptist Health College Little Rock (BHCLR) has a long and distinguished history of providing education, mentoring, academic support, and student services to Arkansans called to serve in the healthcare field. Graduates of BHCLR stand out as academically and clinically prepared to “provide quality patient services and respond to the changing health needs of Arkansans with Christian compassion.” There are nine programs of study in nursing and allied health offering one-year certificate, two-year associates, and bachelor’s degree programs through affiliated colleges and universities.

You can find a complete list of locations and facilities here.

What types of services does Baptist Health System in Arkansas provide?

Behavioral Health

Behavioral health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Baptist Health offers comprehensive psychiatric inpatient and outpatient services through a multi-disciplinary team of psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, psychotherapists, social workers and drug and alcohol counselors among other healthcare professionals, all in one place, all with the goal of helping you restore your life.  Specific services include:

Diabetes

Baptist Health’s Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support Services provide comprehensive diabetes education for patients and their family members to help them learn how to control the disorder and how to prevent medical complications associated with diabetes.

Accredited by the American Diabetes Association, Baptist Health’s Diabetes Self Management Education and Support Services provide comprehensive education for patients with a new diagnosis of diabetes, those who have had diabetes for many years or those who are at risk for the development of diabetes.

Heart

Baptist Health provides heart health informationrisk assessmentshealthy recipes and screenings. From open-heart surgery and Ventricular Assist Devices (VAD) to performing the only adult heart transplants in the state, Baptist Health Heart Failure and Transplant Institute provides the most comprehensive heart services in Arkansas.

To find a cardiologist near you, use Baptist’s Find a Physician tool or call the Baptist Health HealthLine at 1-888-227-8478.

Home Health

In many cases, home health is the extension of care you receive after discharge from a hospital or rehabilitation facility. In some situations, you may already be at home and your physician believes you need one or more of our services to keep you out of the hospital or to monitor your progress. Home health allows the Baptist Health Home Health Network to provide services for patients in the privacy and comfort of your home and has been doing so for almost 30 years.

Baptist Health has three Arkansas home health care facilities. The service area is within a 50-mile radius of offices in Little Rock and Arkadelphia, and within 35 miles of its Heber Springs office.

Your physician must order the specific home health services you need based on your medical condition. In addition, each healthcare payer has different criteria which must be met before they will pay for the services.  The cost of home care facilities and services is often covered by Medicare, Medicaid and most private insurance.

Treatment options include the following services:

  • Skilled Nursing Visits
  • Home Health Aides
  • Physical Therapy
  • Occupational Therapy
  • Speech Therapy
  • Social Work
  • Telehealth

Home Infusion Therapy

Baptist Health offers the administration of intravenous medications to patients in the privacy and convenience of their own home. It eliminates the stress and anxiety associated with a hospital stay and has been shown to be significantly less expensive.

A wide variety of medications can safely and conveniently be administered at home, including:

  • Total Parenteral Nutrition (feeding through the veins)
  • Anti-Infective Therapy (antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals)
  • Pain Management
  • Hydration Therapies
  • Enteral Nutrition (feeding through a tube in the gastrointestinal tract)
  • Immune Globulin
  • Infusion suite available on-site for administration of I.V. antibiotic, I.V. fluids Remicade, etc.

Hospice

Hospice helps patients and their families through life’s final journey. The focus shifts from treatment to pain and symptom management, spiritual and emotional support, and keeping the patient as comfortable as possible. Hospice care is provided primarily at home or in a nursing home setting, although inpatient care is also available.

Hospice services provided by Baptist Health include:

  • Skilled Nursing
  • Medical Social Worker
  • Chaplain
  • Hospice Aide
  • Volunteers (music therapy, reading, meal preparation)
  • Medications and medical supplies related to terminal illness provided at no cost
  • Durable medical equipment provided at no cost
  • Short-term inpatient care, if symptoms cannot be managed at home
  • Brief hospital admissions for the patient to provide a respite for family members
  • Nurse on-call 24 hours a day, seven days a week
  • Bereavement support

Imaging Services

Imaging tests and procedures are integral to the diagnosis and treatment of many medical disorders and conditions. They provide the fastest method of viewing the internal organs and structures of the body and can help diagnose a problem quickly, accurately and with little discomfort.  Baptist Health’s Imaging Centers offer the most advanced imaging technology and with multiple locations in Arkansas, you can choose the facility most convenient for your needs.

Imaging treatment options include:

  • Bone Mineral Density (BMD)
  • Computed Tomography Scan (CT or CAT Scan)
  • Fluoroscopy
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
  • Mammography
  • Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT scan)
  • Nuclear Medicine
  • Ultrasound
  • Uterine Fibroid Embolization (UFE)
  • X-ray

Kidney Treatments

Baptist Health treats a wide variety of kidney-related ailments including kidney stones, kidney cancer, end-stage renal disease and many others.

Laboratory Services

Throughout the state, Baptist Health provides accurate, timely, cost efficient and state-of-the-art testing and results ranging from the most common to the most complex.  The service is staffed by certified medical laboratory scientists and board-certified pathologists on call 24/7.

Lung Cancer

Baptist Health offers several different options for treating lung cancer. The type and length of treatment time is chosen by you and your doctors. Treatments are tailored to your condition and based on the type and stage of lung cancer you have, other existing health issues and your own preferences.

Men’s Health

Baptist Health provides a wide variety of services catering to the specific health needs of men.  This can range from treatments for prostate cancer, high blood pressure, depression, diabetes, hair loss and many others.

Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU)

Baptist Health’s Neonatal Transport Team is available 24-hours-a-day and will travel by ground transportation or MedFlight helicopter to any hospital in Arkansas. The Neonatal Transport Team consists of a transport nurse and respiratory therapist working under the direction of a board-certified neonatologist.

Once on site, Baptist Health NICU provides a “Primary Care Team” that consists of a primary nurse, a core group of registered nurses and a neonatologist.  This team assignment not only ensures consistency of care but also provides parents with an immediate point of contact, so your needs are always met.

Occupational Health

Baptist Health’s Occupational Health program consists of physicians, physical and occupational therapists, and business and medical professionals committed to employment testing programs that effectively reduce workplace injuries and workplace injury costs.

Baptist Health’s protocols offer legally compliant employee programs. OSHA 29 CFR compliance services in-clinic or on-site are available depending on the number of employees and the employer’s needs. Additional services include:

  • Audiometric Hearing Screening
  • Breath Alcohol/EBT (DOT & Non-DOT)
  • Corporate Wellness Programs
  • Drug Screens (DOT & Non-DOT)
  • Immunizations
  • Physical Examinations (Non-DOT)
  • Post-Employment/Fit for Duty Testing
  • Spirometry/PFT and Respirator Fit Testing
  • Pre-Employment/Post Offer Physical Demands Testing
  • Urgent Care/Work Injury Management
  • Vision Screening (Ishihara, Snellen and Titmus)

Orthopedics

Baptist Health provides comprehensive orthopedic services at satellite clinics across Arkansas.  Services range from simple arthroscopic surgery to more serious shoulder replacement, knee replacement or spinal surgery.

Pediatric Care

Baptist Health pediatricians care for children of all ages and provide guidance to families. Children continue to change physically, mentally and emotionally from infancy to the teen years, and parents must make sure their child gets regular checkups and care.

Rehabilitation

Baptist Health is also an established provider of outpatient rehabilitation. With 20 locations across central Arkansas, its experienced team of more than 60 occupational therapists, physical therapists, speech therapists and neuropsychologists focus on providing the highest quality of care.  This comprehensive and customized approach to rehabilitative care has led to Baptist Health Rehabilitation Institute-North Little Rock and Little Rock being named among the top 10 percent of rehab facilities in the nation by Uniform Data System for sustaining outstanding clinical outcomes.

Senior Health

Baptist Health offers several services to deal with the needs of those who are aging.  The focus is not only on treatment but on prevention as well for things such as Alzheimer’s disease, geriatric fractures, the flu, nutrition and exercise.

Sleep Disorders

Sleep disorders are a universal problem that strikes across the board, but men are particularly vulnerable.  Obstructive sleep apnea is estimated to affect about 4% of men before age 50.

Fully accredited by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, Baptist Health Sleep Centers diagnose problems such as sleep apnea, narcolepsy, night seizures and restless leg syndrome, among others. Treatments can include sleep studies, a CPAP machine or mouthpieces, among others.

Stroke

Baptist Health physicians and staff work as an interdisciplinary team with the patient and their family to provide the best possible care using evidence-based treatment guidelines. With advancements in treatments for stroke patients, the outlook today is more hopeful than ever due to advances in both stroke treatment and rehabilitation.

Supportive Medicine

Baptist Health’s supportive medicine provides comprehensive specialist care through an interdisciplinary team for patients and families living with a life-threatening or severe advanced illness expected to progress toward dying, Care is focused on alleviating suffering and promoting quality of life. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family and is provided by a team of doctors, nurses, and other specialists who work with a patient’s other doctors to provide an extra layer of support.

Urgent Care

Baptist Health provides immediate care when a family physician isn’t available.  Baptist Health Urgent Care provides care you can trust without an appointment. Services can be accessed through six convenient locations:

  1. Benton
  2. Bryant
  3. Cabot
  4. Little Rock
  5. Jacksonville
  6. North Little Rock

Weight Loss Programs and Surgical Options

The Baptist Health Weight Loss Program is easy to follow program based on your body’s individual needs. Measuring your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) and catering the program to your individual needs, it provides a safe and effective weight loss journey.  Services are also provided for youths 11-17 through the free Baptist Health and Active Youth Program.  Surgical options for patients include sleeve gastrectomy, laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding and Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass with comprehensive support and follow-up.

Vein Center

More than 40 million Americans suffer with painful and swollen legs as a result of venous disease.  Baptist Health addresses vein problems that often times result in restless legs, numbness in leg, leg heaviness, varicose veins, leg cramps, swelling in leg, discoloration and burning in the leg, ulcers, Deep Venous Thrombosis (DVT) and blood clots

Women’s Health

Baptist Health provides specialized care for the unique needs of women from child birth, cancer, osteoporosis, urinary tract conditions, gynecological issues, and dozens of other conditions and diseases.

Wound Care

The Baptist Health Wound & Hyperbaric Center directs patients to physicians specializing in non-healing wounds. That physician evaluates and directs the individual course of treatment and collaborates with other healthcare professionals who may be needed, including physical therapists, nutritionists and surgeons. Care is provided for:

  • Specialized Dressings
  • Specialized Outer Wraps
  • Debridement
  • Infection Control
  • Bio-synthetic Grafts
  • Vacuum-assisted Wound Closure
  • Nutritional Guidance
  • Additional Medical Tests
  • Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
  • Transcutaneous Oximetry Measurement (TCOM)

What online services does Baptist Health provide?

Because emerging clinical and communications technology is changing the way health care is delivered, Baptist Health has committed considerable resources to making innovation a major part of its everyday culture.

Baptist Health eHealth has created new ways for patients to access care through new technology.

Serving patients close to home is especially beneficial in more rural areas of the state. By providing specialists in rural areas through telehealth programs, Baptist Health is able to elevate the level of care provided and the compliance of the patient.

eICU provides 24/7 access to an experienced team of critical care physicians and registered nurses (RNs) supported by powerful clinical-decision support software to watch over the sickest patients.

eSepsis is supported by critical-care physicians, and experienced eICU RNs provide continuous surveillance in emergency departments to rapidly identify severe sepsis and septic shock for early intervention, best-practice adherence, and improved outcomes.

ePsych provides emergency department, inpatient, and outpatient clinic consults by mental-health providers.

eCare Coordination provides care coordination via an interdisciplinary team of care coordinators, social workers, and nutritionists for clinics wanting to pursue PCMH, CPC+, ACO, CIO status or wanting to improve population-health efforts for patients.

eNutrition Services offers nutrition services in clinics, inpatient, and emergency department settings.

eCardiology provides emergency department, inpatient, and outpatient clinic consults by cardiologists Monday through Friday.

eTranslation Services offers translation services via telehealth for 12 languages plus 48 others telephonically.

eLactation visits can be done in an inpatient or outpatient setting including from a patient’s home. An eLactation consultation with an RN IBCLC-certified lactation consultant from Baptist Health can help new mothers overcome the barriers to successful breastfeeding by providing assistance with positioning and technique, recognizing the signs of effective feeding, assistance with breast-pump setup, and answers to common breastfeeding questions.

eWound offers wound consults in both inpatient and outpatient setting.

ePulmonology provides emergency department and inpatient consults.

NICU Live Streaming is a system that uses a camera placed at the baby’s bedside so that parents and other family members who can’t be at the NICU can view the baby 24 hours a day by logging into a secure account from their laptop, tablet, or smart phone. This system helps promote bonding between parents and their premature babies, who sometimes have to stay in the hospital for weeks or months.

Congestive Heart Failure Remote Monitoring offers real-time ongoing monitoring of vitals, weights, blood pressure, and blood sugar by an RN case manager. It also provides face-to-face telehealth consults via an integrated tablet with the focus of reducing patient costs and improving compliance.

Diabetes Remote Monitoring provides real-time ongoing monitoring of vitals, weights, blood pressure, and blood sugar by a registered dietitian. It offers face-to-face telehealth consults via an integrated tablet with the focus of reducing patient costs and improving compliance.

What insurance is accepted at Baptist Health System in Arkansas?

Baptist Health provides services for patients covered in several plans including those underwritten or supported by the following (updated February 2019)

  • Aetna Healthcare
  • AMCO PPO
  • Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield (including Arkansas FirstSource PPO)
  • Arkansas Municipal League
  • CIGNA
  • Coventry / First Health PPO
  • GEHA / PPO USA
  • Health Advantage
  • HealthLink of Arkansas – Humana
  • Mercy Health Plans
  • MultiPlan (no longer contracted with PHCS)
  • PPO Plus
  • QualChoice
  • Union Pacific Railroad – United Healthcare

It’s best to check with your plan provider before making a choice for hospital services.

What Medicare Advantage Plans are accepted at Baptist Health System in Arkansas?

To see what current Medicare Advantage plans are currently accepted, contact Baptist Health System’s Patient Financial Services group at (501) 202-3900. The office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

You can also contact a representative by e-mail by clicking here.

During your pre-registration process a Baptist Health associate will verify your insurance policy information to determine what your plan covers, how much deductible remains to be paid under your plan, and how much co-pay or co-insurance you are responsible for. This information is then applied to the anticipated cost of your scheduled procedure to calculate an estimated amount that you will owe the hospital.

What is the SilverSneakers Program?

The SilverSneakers Fitness program was founded in 1992 with the goals of improving the physical, mental and emotional health of older Americans.  It has grown to become a nationwide network of fitness and wellness facilities that serve more than 12 million people.

Targeting people 65 and older, SilverSneakers offers a diverse range of classes from low impact to high intensity, tailored to meet the individual fitness goals of participants.  Classes include yoga, weight training, Latin dance, aqua-aerobics and dozens of others, each uniquely designed and taught by certified instructors.

Not only does it offer a variety of fitness and social benefits to participants, in many cases a SilverSneakers membership may be free as one of the benefits of several Medicare Advantage programs.

To explore the various wellness and fitness programs offered by Baptist Health in conjunction with Medicare Advantage programs, call 1-888-BAPTIST.

Where are the Baptist Health System locations?

Baptist Health has more than 200 points of access including 11 Arkansas hospitals:

Click here if you are looking for a Baptist Health facility in the Fort Smith or Van Buren area.

To find a location based on the type of service you need, go to Baptist Health’s location finder page, located here.