Washington Regional Taps Premier Anesthesia to Boost Surgical Services

ALPHARETTA, GA – March 24, 2026 – In a significant move to bolster its surgical capabilities amid rapid regional growth, Washington Regional Medical Center has expanded its partnership with Premier Anesthesia. The agreement extends Premier’s anesthesia practice management services to two additional facilities in Northwest Arkansas: the North Hills Surgery Center and the recently acquired Physicians’ Specialty Hospital.

This strategic expansion is designed to create a more integrated and efficient healthcare network, ensuring a consistent standard of anesthesia care across Washington Regional’s growing footprint. The move comes as Northwest Arkansas grapples with the pressures of a booming population, which is projected to approach one million residents by 2045, placing unprecedented demand on the region's healthcare infrastructure and workforce.

By unifying anesthesia services under Premier’s management, Washington Regional aims to streamline operations, enhance clinical quality, and improve patient outcomes as it scales up to meet the community's evolving needs.

A Strategic Response to Regional Demand

The expansion is a direct response to the healthcare dynamics of Northwest Arkansas, a region facing both immense opportunity and significant challenges. While the population swells, the area has contended with a healthcare workforce shortage of more than 1,200 practitioners and a historical trend of residents seeking specialty care elsewhere, resulting in an estimated $1 billion in annual medical out-migration.

Washington Regional’s strategy appears laser-focused on reversing this trend by expanding access to high-quality, specialized local care. The integration of Physicians’ Specialty Hospital is a cornerstone of this effort. Washington Regional recently assumed operations of the 20-bed facility, which includes five operating rooms, to substantially increase its surgical capacity. The focus will be on expanding same-day and overnight procedures, particularly in high-demand fields like orthopedics, spine surgery, and other outpatient elective procedures. Premier Anesthesia's role will be crucial in ensuring that anesthesia services can scale effectively to support this planned growth.

“Washington Regional’s expanded partnership with Premier Anesthesia represents a strategic investment in the growth of our surgical services department,” said Dr. Lucas Campbell, senior vice president of clinical enterprise and strategy at Washington Regional Medical Center. “Patients can expect the same high-quality, patient-centered anesthesia care at North Hills Surgery Center and Physicians’ Specialty Hospital as they receive at Washington Regional Medical Center.”

Standardizing Excellence Across Facilities

The partnership also brings Premier Anesthesia’s services to the North Hills Surgery Center, an ambulatory facility with a distinguished reputation. Recently named one of America’s Best Ambulatory Surgery Centers for 2026 by Newsweek, it stands as Arkansas's top-ranked multi-specialty center of its kind. At North Hills, Premier will manage anesthesia services for a wide array of specialties, including general surgery, orthopedics, gynecology, ENT, and pain management.

By implementing a consistent management model across its main campus and these two specialty sites, Washington Regional is building a cohesive system. This standardization is expected to drive enhanced performance and efficiency in its outpatient and specialty care environments, a critical factor in managing costs and improving the patient journey.

“Our partnership with Premier Anesthesia highlights our mutual dedication to achieving the highest standards in clinical quality, operational efficiency and patient care,” Campbell added.

The Growing Trend of Specialized Management

This collaboration highlights a broader trend in the American healthcare industry, where large health systems increasingly partner with specialized firms to manage complex clinical departments. Companies like Premier Anesthesia, part of the national Jackson Healthcare® family, bring focused expertise in staffing, recruiting, and management that can be difficult for hospitals to develop in-house, especially amidst nationwide clinician shortages.

This model allows hospital leadership to concentrate on overarching strategy while ensuring critical functions like anesthesia are optimized for safety, quality, and financial performance. For Premier Anesthesia, the expanded partnership deepens its commitment to the Arkansas market and reinforces its value proposition to health systems navigating growth.

“As Washington Regional continues to broaden surgical access across Northwest Arkansas, our objective is to provide anesthesia services with operational excellence and deliver outstanding patient experiences,” stated Preston Smith, president of Premier Anesthesia. “We are honored to be partnering with North Hills Surgery Center and Physicians’ Specialty Hospital and supporting the organization’s greater mission of improving the health of those they serve.”

The ultimate goal is to create a seamless, high-functioning service line that not only meets current surgical demand but is also agile enough to adapt to the future needs of one of the nation's fastest-growing regions.