Rheumatology

Specialty Care for Joint, Muscle, and Autoimmune Conditions, Close to Home

Living with ongoing joint pain, stiffness, or an autoimmune condition can affect every part of your day. For years, patients in our region who needed a rheumatologist had to travel long distances to see one. Now, that care is right here in Mountain Home.

Baxter Health’s rheumatology program gives you access to a board-certified specialist who can diagnose complex conditions, build a treatment plan around your life, and stay with you for the long term. It is advanced care close to home, delivered by people who see you as a neighbor.

What Is Rheumatology?

Rheumatology is the area of medicine that focuses on diseases of the joints, muscles, and connective tissue. Many of these conditions are autoimmune or inflammatory, which means the body’s immune system is causing inflammation or attacking healthy tissue. These conditions are often chronic and can affect more than one part of the body, so they benefit from a specialist who can see the full picture.

Conditions We Treat

Our rheumatology team cares for patients with a wide range of conditions, including:

• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Lupus
• Gout
• Psoriatic arthritis
• Other autoimmune and inflammatory disorders affecting the joints, muscles, and connective tissue

When to See a Rheumatologist

Talk with your primary care provider about a rheumatology referral if you have:

• Joint pain, swelling, or stiffness that lasts for weeks or keeps coming back
• Morning stiffness that takes a long time to ease
• Joint symptoms along with unexplained fatigue, fever, or rash
• A family history of autoimmune disease
• Abnormal lab results that may point to an inflammatory condition
• A diagnosed autoimmune condition that needs ongoing specialist care

Early diagnosis and treatment can help protect your joints and improve your quality of life.

Meet Our Rheumatologist

Arif Ahmed, MD

Dr. Ahmed is board-certified in both rheumatology and internal medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine. He brings years of experience caring for patients with complex autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, including managing infusion therapies and coordinating care with other specialists when a condition affects more than one part of the body.

Before joining Baxter Health, Dr. Ahmed maintained an active rheumatology practice at Ozark Medical Center in West Plains, Missouri, and practiced in clinic settings across Missouri and Texas. He completed his rheumatology fellowship at the University of Missouri Hospital and Medical Center and his internal medicine residency at TriHealth’s Good Samaritan Hospital in Cincinnati, where he served as chief resident. He has also pursued additional training in integrative health and functional medicine, giving him a broader perspective on managing chronic inflammatory conditions.

A Connected Team for Your Care

Dr. Ahmed sees patients at the Baxter Health Internal Medicine & Infectious Disease Clinic, where he works alongside Dr. Raymond Bandy Jr. and Kylee Claypool, APRN. Because rheumatology is part of the larger Baxter Health family of primary and specialty care, your rheumatologist can work closely with your primary care provider and other specialists to keep your care coordinated and reduce time spent on the road.

Baxter Health Internal Medicine & Infectious Disease Clinic
628 Hospital Drive, Suite C
Mountain Home, AR 72653

Patients: Call (870) 508-7450 to schedule an appointment or ask about a referral.
Providers: Send rheumatology referrals by fax to (870) 508-7768.

That is compassionate care beyond measure.