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Harrison Reed and Chancellor C. Lowry Barnes, M.D., cut the ribbon to officially open UAMS Health's new hospital in Bryant. Image by Bryan Clifton

UAMS Health Opens New Hospital in Saline County

Oct. 1, 2026 | LITTLE ROCK —The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) held a ribbon-cutting ceremony today to celebrate the opening of a new comprehensive healthcare facility at 21514 I-30 Frontage Road (Exit 123) in Bryant.

UAMS leases the 108,055-square-foot facility from The Landes Group, a Dallas-based real estate investment firm that acquired the Encore Medical Center property from Arkansas Heart Hospital in August.

“This new UAMS Health hospital is an important step in our commitment to bringing high-quality, specialized healthcare to more Arkansans,” said UAMS Chancellor C. Lowry Barnes, M.D. “From the Emergency Department to inpatient care and specialty clinics on the fourth floor, patients can expect timely, high-quality, and compassionate care from some of Arkansas’ most skilled providers, including many of the healthcare professionals who previously worked for Arkansas Heart Hospital. We are pleased so many of them chose to join our UAMS team, and we look forward to expanding our services at this facility in the coming months.”

In addition to Barnes, speakers at the ceremony included Bryant Mayor Chris Treat, Benton Mayor Tom Farmer, Saline County Judge Matt Brumley, and Judd Deere of the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees.

The 53-bed hospital includes a 16-bed Emergency Department, which will be staffed by UAMS Health physicians with expertise in emergency medicine, along with support from other UAMS Health providers.

Bariatric and general surgeons Samuel Bledsoe, M.D., and James “J.J.” Tucker, M.D., have joined UAMS Health and will lead the UAMS Health Bariatrics and Metabolic Initiative, performing surgery at the UAMS Health facility in Bryant and seeing patients at the UAMS Health Specialty Clinic there.

Both board-certified surgeons are accepting new patients. To schedule an appointment, call 501-252-6650.

“In addition to bariatric surgery, we plan to add additional specialty care at our new clinic in Bryant,” said Barnes. “There are 18 exam rooms, and, in addition to other clinical services, we plan to offer infusion services for patients who live near this facility. Our goal is to bring world-class care closer to patients at convenient locations with easy access and ample parking. The space is designed so that the services provided there may change as our team of providers and patient demand evolve.”

Additionally, UAMS plans to add four operating rooms to the hospital and expand the pre- and postoperative areas. It will also purchase approximately $11 million worth of medical equipment for the facility.

UAMS is the state’s only health sciences university, with colleges of Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Health Professions and Public Health; a graduate school; a hospital; a main campus in Little Rock; a Northwest Arkansas regional campus in Fayetteville; a statewide network of regional campuses; and seven institutes: the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute, Harvey & Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Psychiatric Research Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Translational Research Institute, and the Institute for Community Health Innovation. UAMS includes UAMS Health, a statewide health system that encompasses all of UAMS’ clinical enterprise. UAMS is the only adult Level 1 trauma center in the state. UAMS has 3,553 students and 1,030 medical residents and fellows, and two dental residents. It is the state’s largest public employer with about 12,000 employees, including 1,200 physicians who provide care to patients at UAMS, its regional campuses, Arkansas Children’s, the VA Medical Center and Baptist Health. Visit www.uams.edu or uamshealth.com. Find us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), YouTube or Instagram.

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