Arkansas Heart Hospital will transition operations out of Encore Medical Center effective September 30, 2026.
As part of this change, some services currently provided at Encore will move, change or conclude.
Patients should continue with currently scheduled appointments unless contacted directly by their care team.
Arkansas Heart Hospital will continue serving patients in Saline County through a new cardiology clinic in Bryant, located at 3230 Market Pl Ave in Bryant, tentatively scheduled to open in late October.
Bariatric & Metabolic Institute Transition
Dr. Samuel Bledsoe and Dr. JJ Tucker will be joining University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) effective Oct. 1, 2026, and continuing to care for patients at Encore Medical Center. As part of this transition, Arkansas Heart Hospital will no longer provide bariatric surgery and related clinical services after that date.
Patients should continue with currently scheduled appointments unless contacted directly by their care team.
Bariatric patient resources
Nutrition and post-op educational resources will be available to former BMI patients on the Arkansas Heart Hospital website through Dec. 2026.
Strong Hearts Intensive Cardiac Rehab Transition
Intensive Cardiac Rehab services will no longer be offered in Saline County effective September 18. Current cardiac rehab enrollees will have the option to transfer to the Little Rock Clinic at 7 Shackleford West Blvd. Little Rock, AR. Phase III graduates may continue their fitness journey at any of the Strong Hearts locations including Conway, Little Rock and Russellville.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I still be able to access my Arkansas Heart Hospital records?
Yes. Your Arkansas Heart Hospital medical records will remain available after the Encore transition. Request Medical Records
Should I cancel my appointment at Encore?
No. Please continue with your currently scheduled appointment unless you are contacted directly by Arkansas Heart Hospital with different instructions.
What if I have an appointment after September 30?
Patients whose appointments are affected by the transition will receive information about where their appointment will take place and any other changes they need to know.
- Cardiology patients may be seen at Arkansas Heart Hospital in Little Rock or another Arkansas Heart Hospital location during the transition. Once the new Bryant clinic opens this fall, outpatient cardiology appointments will be available there.
- Bariatric patients will receive information regarding continued care and available resources.
- Cardiac rehab patients may transfer to the Strong Hearts facility at Little Rock Clinic. Cardiac Rehab services are no longer be available in Saline County effective Sept. 18.
- Other patients whose care is affected will receive instructions directly from their care team.
Is Arkansas Heart Hospital leaving Saline County?
Arkansas Heart Hospital plans to continue serving Saline County through a new cardiology clinic at 3230 Market Pl Ave. in Bryant, tentatively scheduled to open in late October. The new clinic will focus on outpatient cardiology care and will not offer all services previously available at Encore Medical Center.
Is Arkansas Heart Hospital still performing bariatric surgery?
Arkansas Heart Hospital will discontinue bariatric surgical services as part of the Encore transition. We are no longer enrolling new patients in the Arkansas Heart Hospital Bariatric & Metabolic Institute surgical program.
Who do I contact about an Arkansas Heart Hospital bill?
Existing Arkansas Heart Hospital bills and payment questions will continue to be handled by Arkansas Heart Hospital.
Billing/payment plans: 501-758-0348
Billing customer service: 501-219-7850