VAN BUREN (KFSM) – The intensive care unit (ICU) of Summit Medical Center in Van Buren was consolidated into Sparks Regional Medical Center in Fort Smith on Sept. 15, said hospital spokesperson Donna Bragg.
Sparks Regional Medical Center is expanding its critical care services to accommodate the growing community need for critical ill patients, Bragg said.
In line with that expansion, Sparks Regional Medical Center hired Fiorella Nawar, MD, an intensivist specializing in the care of critically ill patients, according to Bragg.
All Summit Medical Center ICU staff were offered positions within the Sparks Health System, Bragg said.
Summit Medical Center still provides surgical and medical services, and if a patient needs a higher level of care, the patient is transferred to the most appropriate setting for that care, according to Bragg.
Sparks Regional Medical Center is pursuing a level three trauma designation, which is the same level the hospital once had in the past. The hospital is always recruiting physicians to meet community needs, and certain specialists would be needed to cover 24/7 calls to meet a higher certification, Bragg said.
