January 12, 1974

Ceremonies were held for the grand opening of a new 534-bed facility that is now called Baptist Medical Center, including a dedication speech by then U.S. vice president Gerald Ford. In July 1970, the Arkansas Baptist Medical Center System had acquired a 213-acre tract of land now in western Little Rock (Pulaski County) for expansion, and groundbreaking ceremonies were held there in June 1971. The Baptist Medical Center is part of what is now known as Baptist Health, Arkansas’s largest healthcare system, which has hospital campuses in Little Rock, North Little Rock (Pulaski County), Arkadelphia (Clark County), and Heber Springs (Cleburne County).