Our Fort Smith Clinic, 3416 Old Greenwood Road

What happens at our Fort Smith clinic

Digestive & Liver Center of Arkansas sees patients at 3416 Old Greenwood Rd in Fort Smith. Office visits, procedures, liver testing and follow-up all happen under one roof, so you rarely have to drive somewhere else for the next step. Care offered here includes:

• General gastroenterology visits for heartburn, reflux, abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhea and rectal bleeding
• Colonoscopy, including colon cancer screening starting at age 45 for adults at average risk
• Upper endoscopy for swallowing trouble, reflux, ulcers and stomach pain
• In-office hemorrhoid banding
• FibroScan liver testing, fatty liver and MASH care and hepatitis follow-up as part of our liver program
• Physician-led medical weight loss
• An on-site endoscopy suite
• Southside Specialty Pharmacy, on site

Address, hours and phone

• Address: 3416 Old Greenwood Rd, Fort Smith, AR 72903
• Phone: (479) 242-2888
• Hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Closed weekends and holidays. We see patients from Fort Smith, Van Buren, Greenwood, Alma, Barling and Charleston, along with Poteau, Sallisaw and the rest of eastern Oklahoma.

Parking and accessibility

Parking is free and on site, with accessible spaces near the entrance. There is no parking garage and no meter to feed. If you use a wheelchair or walker, are recovering from surgery, or need a hand getting from your car to the front desk, call (479) 242-2888 before your visit. Our staff will watch for you and help you in. If someone is driving you home after sedation, they can wait in the building with you.

What to expect at check-in

Plan to arrive 15 minutes early for a first visit so paperwork does not eat into your appointment time.

1. Check in at the front desk with your photo ID and insurance card.
2. Hand over your completed new patient forms, or finish them in the waiting room.
3. A nurse or medical assistant takes you back, reviews your medicines and your symptoms, and checks your vital signs.
4. Dr. Ihab Herraka meets with you, examines you as needed, and explains what he thinks is going on in plain language.
5. Before you leave, our staff schedules any testing, sends prescriptions, and tells you when to come back. Dr. Herraka speaks English and Arabic. If you would prefer another language, tell us when you book so we can arrange help.

The on-site endoscopy suite

Colonoscopy and upper endoscopy are performed here in our own endoscopy suite rather than at a hospital across town. For most patients that means simpler parking, a shorter day and familiar faces. A few practical things to know:

• These procedures use sedation, so you must bring a driver. You cannot drive yourself home, even if you feel wide awake.
• The procedure itself usually takes well under an hour, but plan on two to three hours in the building for check-in, preparation and recovery.
• Someone should stay with you for the rest of the day, since sedation can affect your judgment and reflexes longer than you expect.

Southside Specialty Pharmacy

Southside Specialty Pharmacy is in the building with us. For some patients, that means a prescription can be handled during the same visit instead of on a second trip. Ask our staff whether your medicine can be filled on site.

Directions from around the River Valley

The clinic sits on Old Greenwood Road in south Fort Smith. Here is the usual route in from around the region.

• From Van Buren: cross the Arkansas River into Fort Smith on I-49/I-540 and head south toward the Rogers Avenue and Old Greenwood Road area. Typically about 15 to 20 minutes.
• From Greenwood: take US-71 north into Fort Smith and continue onto Old Greenwood Road. Typically about 20 to 25 minutes.
• From Poteau, Oklahoma: take US-271 north into Fort Smith, then follow signs toward the Rogers Avenue and Old Greenwood Road area. Typically 30 to 40 minutes.
• From Sallisaw, Oklahoma: take I-40 east to Fort Smith, then head south through town. Typically 45 minutes to an hour.
• From Alma, Barling or Charleston: most patients come in on I-49/I-540 or Highway 22 and cut across to Old Greenwood Road. Leave a few extra minutes during morning and late-afternoon traffic, especially if you are coming across the river. For Oklahoma Medicaid coverage and referral questions specific to eastern Oklahoma, see our gastroenterologist Poteau OK page.

Cost & insurance

We accept Medicare, Arkansas Medicaid, Oklahoma Medicaid, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, UnitedHealthcare, UMR, Cigna, Aetna, Humana, Ambetter, HealthChoice, VA coverage and the managed Medicaid plans (Aetna Better Health, Humana Healthy Horizons, Oklahoma Complete Health and PASSE), and we offer self-pay pricing for many elective services. See our insurance and billing page for details, or call and we will verify your benefits before your visit.