April 12, 1961

The world’s first open-heart surgery in a private hospital was performed at what was known at the time as Arkansas Baptist Hospital. Arkansas’s largest healthcare system, now known as Baptist Health, has campuses in Little Rock (Pulaski County), North Little Rock (Pulaski County), Arkadelphia (Clark County), and Heber Springs (Cleburne County). In addition to its medical centers, it also operates therapy centers, physician clinics, a retirement village, and a school of nursing and allied health.