Mercy Heart Hospital South

"Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not get bent out of shape," said Lee Casey, Mercy chaplain and manager of the Spiritual Care Department in Fort Smith, Arksansas, who happens to be blind. Having served in health care for 31 years, Lee has helped thousands of patients with their spiritual care in some of the hardest moments of their lives.

He said he appreciates when people offer assistance to him, because it empowers him to say "yes please" or "no thank you," and he is always grateful for the people in his life who support him.

"My total foundation," he said, "is a trust in the guidance and direction of God in my life. I am a committed believer, and I have to — everyday — trust in the goodness of God to work in and through other people."

He also said that he likes to focus on what he can do, rather than what he can't do. "I'm not a blind person; I am a person who happens to be blind. When I say that I am a person who happens to be blind, I am acknowledging my humanity, and blindness just happens to be a part of who I am — but it's not the main focus. In contrast, saying I'm a blind person focuses on the disability I deal with. Though I don't deny my blindness, it's just part of who I am. It's important to get to know people for who they are, regardless of what challenges they may face."

On , we honor the many contributions of individuals with disabilities throughout history, and look for new ways to make their daily experience more equitable and enjoyable.

We're making care more convenient by opening three new primary care locations in former Walmart Health centers across Arkansas. These clinics will offer routine primary care services, with appointments and walk-in availability in Springdale, Rogers and Fort Smith!

Mercy to Open Three New Primary Care Facilities in Arkansas Mercy will continue expanding its Arkansas footprint to make care more convenient and reach additional consumers where they already are with three new Mercy Primary Care locations in former Walmart Health centers inside Walmart Supercenters.

No one likes to wait — especially if you're sick on vacation. But even on the open road, you can be on the road to recovery. We've been working hard to eliminate the wait to get the care you need. Visit https://ow.ly/r6Ym50SKpf4 to get started.

After trying diets over the years (with some success and more failure), Corie Patton finally decided to try weight loss surgery. Once she began losing weight, she enjoyed an active lifestyle of hiking with family, kayaking and even visiting Six Flags without worrying about fitting in the seats.

She lost so much weight that she started to notice some skin irritations that can come along with such a dramatic weight loss. Not long after, she underwent skin removal surgery, where she had five to six pounds of skin removed. She said the skin removal surgery can have its challenges but can provide a sense of accomplishment in the weight loss journey, because it is amazing to see the significant transformation in her health and appearance.

Find out if weight loss surgery is right for you by downloading our free guide today: https://ow.ly/K3hk50SIEWy

Postpartum care is not just for newborns — it's for new moms, too. Get more self-care ideas in our free newborn care guide: https://ow.ly/bIpO50SIFkg

We commend our courageous co-workers and law enforcement for keeping everyone safe today at Mercy Hospital Fort Smith. We pray for their continued strength after such a challenging day.

UPDATE: Mercy.net and MyMercy.net are back up and running. We appreciate your patience!

HEADS UP: Mercy.net and MyMercy.net are currently down, but you can still reach your physician and departments by phone. This outage is not related to the global IT issue. We’re monitoring the situation and will keep you updated. We hope to have issues resolved soon. Feel free to send us a direct message for assistance. Thank you for your patience as our developers work to restore the site!

Tianna Legere took advantage of the convenience of Mercy's Mobile Mammography Bus to schedule her mammogram. That simple decision led to an early diagnosis of breast cancer. Thanks to Mercy's swift treatment, Tianna is now cancer-free!

By donating to the Mercy Health Foundation, you ensure that patients like Tianna receive the lifesaving care they need, exactly when and where they need it. Your support makes a difference. Donate at https://ow.ly/nwVu50SErgW.

We ❤️ Bill!

Stepping through Mercy’s doors is a unique experience. We know it, patients know it and now so does the world! The Mercy Center for Performance Medicine and Specialty Care was selected from 166 submissions to be showcased at the European Healthcare Design 2024 Congress. This innovative design emphasizes lifelong patient relationships and cutting-edge technology. Read more: https://ow.ly/M6Qj50SBUQc

Please bear with us. Mercy.net and the MyMercy.net patient portal are currently down. You can still reach your physician and our various departments by phone. Feel free to send us a private, direct message for assistance. We appreciate your patience while our developers work to get our site back up and running!

UPDATE: We're back up and running! Thank you for your patience while our developers worked to restore Mercy.net and the MyMercy.net patient portal. You can now access all services as usual. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please private message us. We're here to help!

Class of 1978! If you remember when the Blues Brothers came out — and you listened to them on an 8-track — it's time to think about Medicare. Download our free guide now: https://ow.ly/HYjx50SAMlu

Dr. Fareed Kannout couldn't help but smile when his patient gifted him a handmade quilt during her recent check-up! Our patients truly make our days brighter and warmer, one stitch at a time! Mercy patients are simply amazing!

When is the right time for a new knee? Find out in our free knee replacement surgery guide: https://ow.ly/Fn3Y50SyNFx

Happy 80th birthday to our very own Sister Carolyn Stoutz! Sister Carolyn has dedicated 20+ years of service spreading joy in the Ardmore community, and co-workers at Mercy Hospital Ardmore were thrilled to celebrate her today with a book of well wishes and signatures as well as a comfy new recliner for her home.

Sister Carolyn also recently hit a big milestone with 60 years of service as a Sister of Mercy. Read more about her story here: https://ow.ly/UVus50Syhge.

For the first time, the FDA has authorized an AI tool to detect and predict sepsis, and tens of thousands of Mercy patients helped make it happen. Only 10 clinical research sites nationwide provided secure data to develop this groundbreaking technology, which precisely targets such a difficult-to-diagnose medical condition.

Read more about Prenosis' Sepsis ImmunoScore: ow.ly/2YrQ50SxshE.

Mercy Data Supports FDA Authorization of AI Tool to Detect Life-Threatening Sepsis | Mercy The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized a new tool called Sepsis ImmunoScore™, created by Prenosis, Inc. This tool uses artificial intelligence (AI) to detect sepsis, a serious and hard-to-diagnose response to infection. Mercy was one of 10 study sites nationwide that helped test th...

Exciting news in cancer detection! Mercy’s Dr. Gautum Agarwal co-authored an article in JAMA Oncology about our groundbreaking multi-cancer early detection blood tests. These tests have the potential to expand cancer screenings to underserved communities, saving more lives.

Multi-Cancer Early Detection Blood Test Increases Cancer Screening Equity Dr. Agarwal co-authored an opinion article published in the June 28 issue of the Journal of American Medical Association Oncology titled,...

Abby Duke brings more than medical assistant skills to Mercy in Columbia, Illinois—she brings joy! The 20-year-old's inspirational notes scattered throughout the clinic are a bright spot for everyone.

As summer begins, let's embrace the season of possibilities! Clinical research drives progress in health care, paving the way for better and more treatment options. Consider joining a research study.

Learn More: https://ow.ly/Rcze50SrhkT

Happy Fourth of July!