From a young age, Seth Barnes, MD, was drawn to the work of a family physician. He grew up with a father who suffered with health issues, and this brought him into regular contact with the medical community. It was this interaction that led him to pursue medicine as a career.

“My father was very sick when I was growing up – he had rheumatoid arthritis and heart issues that really impacted his health in ways that even I recognized as a boy,” says Dr. Barnes, board-certified internal medicine physician with CHI St. Vincent Primary Care - South Campus in Hot Springs. “His family physician took such great care of him that it inspired me to go into medicine.”   

Dr. Barnes earned his medical degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. He completed an internship and residency in internal medicine at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, where he served as chief resident. After completing his education, Dr. Barnes began practicing internal medicine at White River Diagnostic Clinic, a multi-specialty group in Batesville, caring for patients in clinic and in the hospital setting. He became a managing partner in this clinic until 2017 when he decided to move closer to aging family members. During his time in Batesville, Dr. Barnes also served as County Health Officer for Independence County, Executive Medical Director for Future Fuel Chemical Company, and as a hospitalist at several local hospitals. He joined CHI St. Vincent Internal Medicine in June 2018.

“Although I enjoyed my practice and we had a made a great home in Batesville, my children had graduated from college, and it was time for us to be closer to family and help out with their care,” says Dr. Barnes. “It’s been a fantastic transition, and I’m excited to be in this new role where I can make new relationships with my patients and help improve access to services for the people who need it most.”

Dr. Barnes has a history of teaching, mentoring and sharing his experience to help establish new clinics and processes – all designed to improve access to high quality medical care. This includes working with nursing students in the clinic and hospital setting at the University of Arkansas Community College at Batesville Nursing program and guiding the creation of an anti-coagulation clinic with student pharmacists at Harding University in Searcy.

Dr. Barnes has always enjoyed connecting with his patients – learning their backgrounds, personal stories and work histories. This connection helps him better understand his patients’ physical, mental and emotional health, which is particularly important when acute or chronic medical conditions arise.  

“Since joining the CHI St. Vincent team, I’ve been energized by the way the hospital administration places such a strong emphasis on patient care. This isn’t always the case in every healthcare setting, and it’s refreshing to focus directly on how I interact with patients as my first priority,” said Dr. Barnes. “With the foundation of high-quality care already in place, I’m confident in the in our ability to meet our patients’ needs in a timely and meaningful way.”

Dr. Barnes and the team from our primary care office on the South Campus are welcoming new patients. Contact them for appointments at 501.623.2781.