UAMS and Intuitive Health to Launch Hybrid Emergency and Urgent Care Facilities in Arkansas

“Expanding access to high-quality care is central to UAMS’s mission to improve the health of all Arkansans,” said UAMS Chancellor C. Lowry Barnes, M.D., according to a report from news.uams.edu.

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) is launching a network of freestanding facilities designed to bridge the gap between standard urgent care and full-scale emergency departments. Through a partnership with Dallas-based Intuitive Health, the university will deploy a model that combines these two distinct levels of medical service under a single roof.

The first of these locations is currently in the permitting phase in Little Rock. UAMS is working with The Boldt Company to develop the site, with construction expected to take between 12 and 18 months to reach completion.

The primary goal of this hybrid model is to eliminate the guesswork for patients arriving with medical needs. Traditionally, a patient facing a sudden injury or illness must decide whether a clinic is sufficient or if a hospital emergency room is necessary—a decision that can lead to wasted time or inadequate treatment.

These new state-of-the-art facilities will operate 24/7. They are designed to handle a broad spectrum of medical issues, ranging from minor ailments like colds, sprains, and small cuts to critical emergencies such as chest pain and broken bones.

To support these high-acuity needs, the facilities will include on-site laboratory services and advanced imaging capabilities, including CT scans, X-rays, and ultrasounds. This infrastructure allows the clinics to function with the speed of an urgent care center while maintaining the diagnostic depth of an emergency room.

Thom Herrmann, CEO of Intuitive Health, noted that the facilities aim to provide a more patient-centered experience.

“These facilities will ensure Arkansans can access the right level of treatment without confusion and pay only for the care they actually need,” Herrmann said. Thom Herrmann

This expansion uses the existing reach of UAMS, which serves as the state's only health sciences university. The institution manages a massive clinical and educational footprint, including the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute and the Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, among others.

As the largest public employer in Arkansas, UAMS employs approximately 12,000 people. This workforce includes 1,200 physicians who provide care across a wide-reaching network that encompasses affiliated hospitals in Pine Bluff, Helena-West Helena, Mena, and Warren.

The university also trains 3,813 students and over 1,000 medical residents and fellows. This academic foundation underpins its status as the state’s only adult Level 1 trauma center.

While the Little Rock location is the immediate priority, UAMS officials indicated they are currently considering additional sites for future facilities. These locations have not yet been announced.

The move toward freestanding, hybrid facilities reflects a trend in healthcare designed to alleviate pressure on traditional hospital emergency departments. By diverting non-life-threatening emergencies to these specialized sites, the system can better reserve its most intensive resources for the highest-acuity patients at its main hospitals.

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