Baxter Health has announced the addition of Dr. Blake Copeland to its Pain Clinic, enhancing access to addiction medicine in north central Arkansas. Copeland began seeing patients in early September and will focus on providing treatments for opioid use disorder alongside the clinic's existing chronic pain management services.

Among Copeland’s offerings is Sublocade, a monthly buprenorphine injection for opioid use disorder. According to Baxter Health, this treatment has been challenging to find in the region. By integrating addiction and pain care, the clinic aims to address the overlapping needs of patients who experience both chronic pain and substance use challenges.

“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,” said Brian Barnett, Baxter Health vice president of physician enterprise and business development. “Blake brings clinical depth, leadership experience, and a genuine commitment to the patients who need this kind of care most.”

The clinic team now includes Dr. Copeland, Dr. Ryan Krafft, physician assistant Niger Stice, and nurse practitioners Candi Caldwell, Alison Duggins, Kala Hatch, and Derek McMurry. Officials said Copeland’s arrival is part of a broader effort to bridge services for addiction care and pain management under one roof.

Copeland brings more than a decade of addiction medicine experience to the role, alongside a varied medical career that includes primary care, hospitalist, critical care, and hospice work. He holds a medical degree from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine in Memphis, where he also completed his residency. His leadership roles have included serving as chief medical officer of Arkansas Continued Care Hospital, directing the ICU and CCU at Baptist Health-Paragould, and founding Pioneer Medical Clinics, a primary care group. In addition, he has been involved in medical education as an adjunct faculty member at institutions such as UAMS and St. Bernards.

Outside of his medical work, Copeland enjoys fishing and spending time with his family on the lake.

Appointments at the Baxter Health Pain Clinic can be scheduled by calling (870) 508-5900.