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Saline Memorial, a not-for-profit hospital in Benton, recently got a new CEO in Randy Fortner, a Benton native, who was formerly the chief operating officer at St. Joseph's in Hot Springs.

BENTON — With all the growth, things are changing rapidly in Saline County, especially at Saline Memorial.

The county-owned hospital recently sent Quorum management packing and installed a new CEO, Randy Fortner, a Benton native who spent the last 18 years as chief operating officer at St. Joseph's in Hot Springs.

"My parents still live here," Fortner said, on his first day on the job, but "it's not the same Benton I remember as I kid."

Fortner was happy in Hot Springs until Saline Memorial came calling.

"I really wasn't looking for an opportunity," he said, "but when I heard about the opportunity, I liked the potential here. This is a very nice facility. We have a good medical staff, a lot of good people ... (there's) a tremendous amount of potential here to add services."

Saline Memorial was experiencing growth before Fortner's arrival.

A $9 million surgery center recently opened up and the campus now has 400,000 square feet under roof. The 50-year-old hospital is licensed for 167 beds.

Fortner anticipates changes, but he's not sure about the details.

"From a strategic vision standpoint, I certainly know where I want the organization to be," he said. "From a long-term standpoint, Saline has been a community hospital, a very good community hospital, but Saline County is not the same Saline County that it has been for the last 50 years. It's growing very rapidly, and this organization is going to have to change and grow with the needs of the community."

Saline has seen some remarkable growth over the last few years. With a population of nearly 90,000, the county ranks as the state's fifth fastest growing, according to the latest census numbers. The population is expected to soon top 100,000.

"Today, I honestly can't tell you what the needs are in the community," Fortner said. "But I can tell you the thing we're going to be very diligent about: assessing the community needs and providing for those needs. Hospitals that grow just to grow typically end up in a difficult situation. The growth needs to be driven by the community."

Entries on the planning books: a new emergency department that should be completed sometime this year and an addition to orthopedics with a center focusing on joints. A 64-slice CT machine has been added for imaging to complement additional equipment for mammograms.

It isn't just Saline Memorial in the county.

Rivendell, the psychiatric facility, is in Benton and in Bryant, Dr. John Menard, a local physician, is slowly building a small empire that includes Fox Ridge Estate, the assisted living facility that in which he has part ownership.

Leslie Warford, who helps run the Bryant location, said expansion plans are under way to add two new facilities, one in West Little Rock and the other in North Little Rock. All with the Fox Ridge name, and when all the construction is done, the total number of beds will be over 300.



Next stop: Northwest Arkansas

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