Baptist Health closing labor and delivery unit at Fort Smith hospital

By: Tess Vrbin

Outlets: Arkansas Advocate

Published: April 1, 2026

Words: 669

Last Updated: 4 months ago

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Baptist Health is closing the labor and delivery unit and ending obstetric care at its Fort Smith hospital, leaving Arkansas with only 31 hospitals where women can give birth in less than a third of the state’s counties.

The announcement is the latest in a series of closures to hit Arkansas over the past several years. Baptist Health-Fort Smith is the eighth Arkansas hospital to shutter its labor and delivery unit since 2020.

“While this …

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