Southwest Arkansas Regional Medical Center new name for Hope hospital

(This updates a previous story with more local details, the new name, and plans for the facility.)

HOPE – Pafford Health Systems has been selected by Steward Healthcare for the acquisition of Wadley Regional Medical Center at Hope, a 48-bed general acute hospital located in Hope. A new entity named Southwest Arkansas Healthcare Authority was recently created with the help of the Hempstead County Economic Development Corporation through a city/county partnership. This collaborative effort will help ensure health care services can continue to be provided to the citizens of Hope, Hempstead County, and all other surrounding counties. The Healthcare Authority will own the building and property, and Pafford Health Systems will control the daily operations of the hospital.

We are excited about this new journey for Pafford and our community,” said Jamie Pafford-Gresham, President. “This is our home, and we care about everyone’s quality of life. Pafford is vested in the economic sustainability and growth of our local economy. We want to do our part in taking care of our community. Our entire Pafford team is dedicated to this endeavor and success will require community wide support. With involvement from the public, together we can revitalize our only county hospital into a stronger, healthier organization that will continue to serve the citizens of Southwest Arkansas for years to come.”

Wadley Regional Medical Center at Hope hospital will be renamed Southwest Arkansas Regional Medical Center to reflect its purpose and mission,” said Clay Hobbs, Pafford Health Systems COO. “We are here to serve our community and we believe in the dedicated employees and medical staff who have poured their souls into keeping the hospital open. We look forward to re-energizing and rebuilding our community hospital and continuing its long history of providing quality medical care with world class customer service.”

Upon completion of this transaction, Pafford Health Systems will work with all parties involved to provide a smooth transition for employees, medical staff, and patients. As the transition progresses, the hospital and its emergency department will remain open for business. Our goal is to keep everyone informed of all relevant information and to
ensure continued easy access to health care services.

Founded in 1967, The Pafford family of companies with over 2,000 employees caring for more than 350,000 patients annually, provides healthcare services to communities all across Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and the US Virgin Islands.