Since opening its doors in 2017, the Bradley County Medical Center Rural Health Clinic has worked to meet the growing healthcare needs of Bradley County and surrounding communities by offering a wide range of accessible, patient-centered services.
Conveniently located across from the BCMC Emergency Department, the clinic is staffed by a team of experienced providers, including family nurse practitioners Kristen Harvey and April Harris, behavioral health nurse practitioner Tiffany Wargo, and physicians Dr. Bradley Biggers and Dr. Russell Gregory.
Together, the team delivers comprehensive primary care and specialty services designed to treat patients of all ages. Harvey and Harris provide wellness exams, acute and chronic disease management, joint injections, cryotherapy, immunizations, wound care and weight management. Harvey also offers Department of Transportation and school physicals.
Wargo focuses on behavioral health, offering medication management and treatment for a variety of conditions, including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and eating disorders. She also provides ADHD screenings for both children and adults, helping address a growing need for mental health services in rural communities.
Biggers and Gregory offer full primary care services in addition to performing minor surgical procedures. Both physicians also serve in critical roles within the hospital, with Biggers acting as hospitalist and emergency room director and Gregory serving as an emergency room physician. Their dual roles help ensure continuity of care for patients both in the clinic and hospital setting.
Clinic providers say some of the most common health concerns they treat include high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity. To address these issues, the clinic emphasizes prevention, early intervention and ongoing management tailored to each patient.
Accessibility remains a cornerstone of the clinic’s mission. Providers say most patients are able to secure same-day appointments, and walk-ins are welcome. In addition, the clinic offers a 24/7 after-hours phone service, allowing patients to speak directly with a provider at any time.
Staff members also work closely with patients to overcome barriers to care. When medications are not covered by insurance, providers assist in identifying alternative resources. The clinic also coordinates referrals to additional services such as home health care, cardiac rehabilitation and nutrition counseling.
Through a partnership with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, patients can access telehealth nutrition services, including personalized meal planning through the UAMS Nutritional Meal Center.
To further improve access, the clinic utilizes a translation system capable of supporting multiple languages, ensuring communication is not a barrier to care.
Providers say being local to south Arkansas helps them better understand and connect with their patients. Many of the clinic’s staff grew up in the region and are familiar with the unique challenges rural populations face when seeking healthcare.
“We try to make everyone feel at home,” Harris said. “We care deeply for our patients and are willing to go above and beyond.”
In addition to traditional medical services, providers note that some offerings—such as behavioral health care, weight management programs and physical exams for school and commercial driving—are often overlooked by patients.
The clinic also prioritizes timely communication, with providers personally notifying patients of lab and imaging results as soon as they are available.
Despite the wide range of services offered, providers say their mission remains simple: to promote overall health and improve quality of life within the community.
The most rewarding part of their work, they said, is seeing patients make progress.
“When a patient improves their health, it makes us proud,” the group said.
Clinic staff encourage community members to take advantage of the services available close to home.
“Come see us,” they said.
