Outpatient imaging center provides computed tomography scans, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound, X-ray and lab testing in an urgent care setting. 

Delta Digital News Service

By Brayden Morse | Contributor

Wednesday, May 1, 2024

JONESBORO, Ark. – The Northeast Arkansas Baptist Urgent Care Plus Clinic opened an outpatient imaging center March 4, providing computed tomography scans, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound, X-ray and lab testing in the urgent care setting. 

The outpatient imaging center, located in the middle of the building, right off I-555 and Red Wolf Boulevard. The urgent care side of the building, located on the north side of the building.

Andrea Simpson, executive director at NEA Baptist, provided what stands out with the new outpatient imaging center. 

“What stands this building apart from our other urgent cares in our community today, is our advanced lab equipment and our high-tech imaging. Hopefully this will keep those patients from having to go to our emergency room setting, and free up our ERs for true emergent patients,” Simpson said. “We really want to take care of those sicker patients, more than just flu-type symptoms that we treat today in urgent care. Like lacerations, belly pain, appendicitis, sports injuries, minor fractures, things like that we want to be able to treat in this setting.”

Urgent Care Plus creates a higher level of care for citizens than their typical urgent care setting. Treatment for more serious, yet non-life-threatening illness and injury will be provided. 

Urgent Care Plus staffed by emergency trained physicians and open from 8 a.m. to midnight seven days a week. Nurses, lab staff, imaging technologists and ER-trained physicians provided, with extended hours for added convenience. 

The building took about 18 months to complete because of staffing positions, installing imaging equipment, and tearing down a pharmacy and the old medical building. 

The advanced imaging equipment needed American College of Radiology accreditation to use on patients in the clinic setting, taking an extra 90 days to complete. As mentioned earlier, sports injuries will be treated as well.

Simpson shared the importance of having the ability to treat sports injuries. 

“We are there and available to treat sports injuries much faster than an emergency room can,” Simpson said.

Ty Jones, director of marketing at NEA Baptist, expressed how this clinic impacts the community.

“It’s going to provide a side of town that has to travel to get their healthcare. This is us putting a higher level of care back on that side of town for our patients who may have to travel from the Harrisburg area or from the Valley View side of Jonesboro,” Jones said. “Something as simple as an imaging service, that’s going to be much more convenient for you if you’re on that side of our service area, to pop in that imaging center rather than having to come all the way to the hospital.”

Simpson also shared her thoughts on finally opening new parts of the clinic. 

“The construction took about 18 months, but I’ve been planning this for about two and a half years. Finally opening the Urgent Care Plus side is very exciting and kind of a checkbox for me. I’m excited for our community to be able to use it,” Simpson said.

The family practice side of the building, known as the Red Wolf Clinic of 47 years, will continue to function. New equipment and technology added to that side of the building as well. 

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