MOUNTAIN HOME, Ark. — Baxter Health is pleased to welcome Blake Copeland, MD, to the Baxter Health
Pain Clinic, where he will focus primarily on addiction medicine. Copeland joins a team that includes Ryan
Krafft, DO; Niger Stice, PA-C; Candi Caldwell, APRN; Alison Duggins, APRN; Kala Hatch, APRN; and Derek
McMurry, APRN. He will begin seeing patients in early September.
Addiction medicine and pain management are deeply connected. Many patients dealing with chronic pain also
struggle with substance use, and many patients in recovery are managing pain conditions that require careful,
thoughtful treatment. Having a physician on the Pain Clinic team whose primary focus is addiction medicine
means patients in north central Arkansas can now receive specialized, integrated care for both concerns in one
place, without having to seek out separate providers or travel far from home.
Copeland brings a clinical background that is as broad as it is deep. Trained in internal medicine, he has spent
his career moving across some of the most demanding roles in the healthcare system, from hospitalist and
intensive care medicine to primary care, hospice, and medical leadership. His experience in long-term care
and hospice gave him a firsthand understanding of how pain, dependency, and quality of life intersect for
patients with complex conditions, and that understanding is central to the work he will do at the Pain Clinic. He
has spent more than a decade practicing addiction medicine, working directly with patients navigating the
intersection of substance use and chronic illness. Among the treatments he offers is Sublocade, a
once-monthly buprenorphine injection used in the treatment of opioid use disorder. Sublocade is not widely
available in the region, and its addition to the Pain Clinic’s services represents a meaningful expansion of care
options for patients in north central Arkansas.
Copeland earned his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of
Medicine in Memphis and completed his internal medicine residency there as well. He later served as Chief
Medical Officer of Arkansas Continued Care Hospital, directed ICU and CCU units at Baptist-Paragould, and
founded Pioneer Medical Clinics, his own primary care practice in Arkansas. He has also served as medical
director for multiple long-term care, home health, and hospice organizations, and as adjunct faculty at three
academic institutions, including UAMS and St. Bernards.
Brian Barnett, Vice President of Physician Enterprise and Business Development at Baxter Health, spoke to
what Copeland’s addition means for the community. “Addiction touches a lot of families in our region, and
access to a physician who specializes in this area of medicine has been a real gap,” Barnett said. “Blake brings
clinical depth, leadership experience, and a genuine commitment to the patients who need this kind of care
most. We are glad to have him here.”
Outside of work, Copeland enjoys spending time with his family and being outdoors. He enjoys fishing and
spending time on the lake.
Blake Copeland, MD, will begin seeing patients in early September at the Baxter Health Pain Clinic. To
schedule an appointment, please call (870) 508-5900.
