Dawn Watts was named chief executive officer on July 28, 2014 of Encompass Health Fort Smith, formerly HealthSouth Fort Smith. From April 2008 to July 2014, she served in a number of senior management positions with CHS formerly HMA of Florida including director for case/resource management, cardiopulmonary services and various medical/surgical units. From 2000 to 2008 Dawn served as the chief nursing officer for the Fort Smith hospital. During that time she served on the national board for Encompass Health nursing and as a regional CNO for two years. Dawn received her bachelor's degree in nursing and a master's in business administration from Oklahoma Wesleyan University.

Dr. Bradley Short is the Medical Director of Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Fort Smith, formerly HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Fort Smith. Dr. Short is a graduate of The University of Arizona and completed his medical studies at The University of Osteopathic Medicine. He went on to do his internship at The University of Arkansas for Medical Services. Additionally, Dr. Short completed his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at The University of Arkansas for Medical Services. He is certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. He is board certified and a Fellow with the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. In addition to his medical experience, Dr. Short has served in the Armed Forces.

* The hospital provides access to independent physicians.

Rick Allison joined Encompass Health Fort Smith in early 2014 and has more than 20 years of experience in maintenance and operations. He manages the daily operations of the facility and keeps the hospital up to date and code. Rick holds certifications as a Hospital Facility Manager, Healthcare Safety Professional, Certified NFPA Fire Safety Specialist, Certified NICET Fire Protection Specialist, and Certified Enhanced Threat and Risk Assessment by TEEX, in addition to numerous other safety certifications.

Brian began his career at Encompass Health’s hospital in Texarkana in May 2006 as a rehabilitation liaison and was promoted to senior liaison in 2010. In November 2012, Brian became the director of marketing operations for Encompass Health Fayetteville, where he served for six years before transferring to Encompass Health Fort Smith in October 2018 as the business development director. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University of Texarkana.

Jennifer joined Encompass Health Fort Smith in 2017 as the director of case management, bringing more than 20 years’ experience as a registered nurse. She achieved her registered nursing degree then went on to complete a bachelor’s degree from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in nursing at the University of Arkansas Fort Smith. Jennifer started her career as an oncology nurse and has worked in a variety of nursing roles including a nurse charge auditor, compliance consultant, MDS coordinator and then moved into case management. While working as a Worker’s Compensation case manager, she was recognized as a Customer Service Champion. She has worked and chaired on various community committees such as the Sebastian County Medical Society Alliance, Junior League of Fort Smith and United Way. She holds certification through the Commission of Certified Case Managers and was published in the October 2003 journal, Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology on Traumatic Brain Injury.

Jason joined the hospital team as chief financial officer in April 2016. He joined Encompass Health Fort Smith with 17 years’ experience, after holding roles in the areas of accounting, Medicaid reimbursement and operational finance. A graduate of Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, he completed a bachelor’s degree in accounting. Jason works closely with the chief executive officer in improving the hospital’s financial performance and supports the leadership team with the information they need to successfully complete their jobs.

Brandi joined Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Fort Smith, formerly HealthSouth Fort Smith, in 2013 and serves as a resource to all employees as well as a recruiter of new talent. She received her bachelor's degree in business administration with a major in human resources management in 2012. Brandi was active duty in the United States Army from 2005-2008 where she served during Operation Enduring Freedom in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Justin McFerran joined Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Fort Smith in early 2013. He began his career with Encompass Health Fort Smith as a staff nurse before transitioning to the Patient Assessment Standards Coordinator. He earned an associate degree in nursing from the University of Arkansas Fort Smith and is also UDS-PPS certified. Additionally, he serves as a PASC preceptor for Encompass Health’s south central.

Dr. Meade has been affiliated with Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Fort Smith, formerly HealthSouth Fort Smith, since 2001 and has also been a principal investigator for pulmonary clinical trials since 2005. Dr. Meade is a graduate of the Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi Faculty of Medicine and completed his transitional in 1991 at Frankfort Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He attended the Medical College of Pennsylvania from 1991-1994 and was board certified in Internal Medicine in 1994. Dr. Meade also attended the Medical College of Pennsylvania from 1994-1995 and 1998-1999 for Pulmonary Medicine and received his board certification in 1999. Dr. Meade was board certified in Sleep Medicine in 2006 by the American Board of Sleep Medicine and in 2009 by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

Brian joined Encompass Health Fort Smith in March 2018 and is responsible for quality, survey and risk management and overall compliance. He brings nearly 25 years of experience in healthcare quality from working in local acute care hospitals and clinics. He also recently held the position of Safety Officer and Emergency Management Coordinator for several years. He holds bachelor’s degrees in health information management from Arkansas Tech University and business administration from Arkansas State University. He is a Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA), a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ), and a member of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and the National Association of Healthcare Quality (NAHQ).

Crystal Restine has served as the chief nursing officer of Encompass Health Fort Smith since January of 2016. From 2003 to 2015, she served in various leadership positions with CHS including director of medical surgical units, quality manager and assistant chief nursing officer. Crystal holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Oklahoma State University, an associate’s degree in nursing from Carl Albert State College and a master’s degree in business administration from Oklahoma Wesleyan University.

Jiabey has been an employee of Encompass Health Fort Smith since 2004. She began her career with Encompass Health Fort Smith as an inpatient staff physical therapist before transitioning to inpatient therapy manager in 2012 and then moved into the director of therapy operations role in 2018. She holds a bachelor’s degree in health sciences and a doctorate in physical therapy from the University of Central Arkansas. Her focus areas are in geriatrics and neurological rehabilitation. She is NDT certified in the management of adults with stroke and brain injury and PWR certified in the treatment of adults with Parkinson’s disease. She has completed extensive continue education courses with management of vestibular disorders and wound care. Jiabey is also the coordinator of clinical education for Encompass Health Fort Smith’s therapy student program.

Dr. Darin Wilbourn, a Pleasant View High School graduate, has been a part of Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Fort Smith, formerly HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital of Fort Smith, since April 2015, and is an admitting Physiatrist. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Dr. Wilbourn then obtained his Medical Degree at The University of Arkansas College of Medicine in Little Rock. He completed his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. He is certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Jerry has been employed as the director of pharmacy at Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Fort Smith, formerly HealthSouth Fort Smith, for over 10 years. For a portion of this time he also served as co-regional pharmacy director for the MidAtlantic region. He brings almost 20 years of experience to Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Fort Smith. Jerry received his bachelor’s degree in pharmacy from The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences at Little Rock and is a native of the Fort Smith area where he currently resides.