A healthcare service center employing 350 people in the River Valley is officially open.
The ribbon cutting ceremony was held Tuesday (Nov. 5) at the Health Management Associates, Inc.'s (HMA) new facility in Fort Smith. The Arkansas Regional Service Center is located at 4600 Towson Avenue in the former Phoenix Expo Center.
Governor Mike Beebe, Senator Bruce Holland, Mayor Sandy Sanders and a half-dozen other Fort Smith city leaders attended the ceremony. Gov. Beebe spoke to the crowd about the resilience he sees in Fort Smith.
"Fort Smith gets knocked down," said Gov. Beebe mentioning the Whirlpool and Mitsubishi plants, "but Fort Smith gets back up, and this is an example of it."
According to Shannon White, Vice President of HMA, the 96,000 square foot space may accommodate up to 600 employees giving the company room to grow.
The Arkansas Regional Service Center supports 23 hospitals in eight states, 150 physicians, an ambulance company and rural health clinics, White said. There are 30 immediate positions available in accounts receivable, clerical and customer service.
Health Management Associates, Inc. is the parent company of Sparks Health System and Summit Medical Center. HMA owns and operates 71 hospitals in 17 states.