Nurse Practitioner Sarah Reyna lives in Bismarck, a rural community between Hot Springs and Arkadelphia.
Every day, she drove 90 miles one way to work at a vein clinic in Conway. Yet, she believed her specialized services were needed closer to home.
“I had always felt like a vascular clinic in Hot Springs would be successful, due to the fact that there wasn’t one there already and due to the networking and relationships with other healthcare providers I’d developed over the years that I worked in Hot Springs and Arkadelphia,” said Sarah.
“I’d been hearing from many of my colleagues that they would love to have a vascular clinic to refer patients to, since many of their patients were not willing or able to drive to Benton or Little Rock for these services.”
Reyna grew tired of the Conway commute and other aspects of the job. The idea to start a clinic in Hot Springs had allure.
“My staff and I loved working together and loved the work and the patients,” she said.
“We started cooking up a plan to open our own clinic. I say ‘our’ even though I am the sole owner because my staff wanted to come with me, and there’s no way I could do it all without them.”
Crash Course a Valuable 1st Step
Though ready to pursue the idea of owning a business, Reyna was unsure how to proceed.
Then, one of the staff recommended the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center.
“Her husband had been wanting to open his own business and they had utilized the classes and business advice, so she told me about it. Because my main hesitancy in opening my own clinic was simply that I’d never owned a business and had no idea where to start,” said Sarah.
The UA Little Rock center’s training and advising soon fixed that, starting with the Startup Crash Course, ASBTDC’s comprehensive overview of how to start a business.
“The Startup Crash Course was helpful in a couple of ways. One way was just helping me get acquainted with all the business lingo. As a nurse, I was not familiar with any of the common business terms,” she said.
Seeking Startup Capital
After the class, she connected with Nicolas Mayerhoeffer, a business consultant at the center. He advised her on ways to fund a new business. Nico also helped her put together a business plan she could share with lenders.
“I knew I had capital to put down and I knew I had good credit, but being a brand new business owner, it was intimidating to ask for a couple hundred thousand dollars for a very niche clinic,” she said.
“Having the support of the ASBTDC and the business plan Nicolas helped me develop was what helped me secure financing, and I am so grateful.”
Mayerhoeffer expertly guided her through the complex Small Business Administration loan process.
“Nicolas has provided me with so much advice and information and continues to help me when I have business-related questions,” she said. “He is always quick to respond and happy to help and I appreciate that so much.”
Avoiding Pitfalls with Preparation
To expand her business knowledge, Sarah participated in other training provided by the center, including convenient online events.
“The variety of classes was so great, and being able to participate remotely was a necessity, as I was still working at my former job full time and live about an hour from Little Rock.”
After nearly a year of preparation, Reyna opened Spa City Vascular & Wellness in July 2025.
Thanks to ASBTDC, she felt well equipped to own and operate a medical practice.
“I have had and continue to have an amazing experience with ASBTDC,” said Sarah.
“I can see, based on the experiences of my colleagues who’d opened clinics before me, the many challenges I could have had if I hadn’t had all the information before I attempted to open my own clinic.”
The Spot for Specialized Care
Spa City Vascular & Wellness provides comprehensive care for patients with venous disease and other conditions. The clinic specializes in vascular diagnostics and treatments that are usually not offered by primary care or cardiology clinics.
Often, venous disease affects the legs, causing swelling, throbbing, tenderness, skin discoloration, varicose veins, spider veins, and venous leg ulcers.
“It is diagnosed with ultrasound in our office and there are a variety of minimally invasive vein procedures we do in the office to treat it,” said Reyna.
SCVW’s state-of-the-art facility has the latest diagnostic equipment but is also designed for patient comfort.
Beyond vascular issues, Reyna wants to help patients take control of their overall health through preventative care, lifestyle management, and a range of wellness services.
Embracing Different Roles, Team Fills Gaps
Typical of small businesses, every team member fills multiple roles.
As owner and operator, Reyna manages the business side of the clinic when not seeing patients or performing vein procedures. She’s the one paying bills and running payroll.
The other team members are sonographer McKinzy Castor and office manager and medical assistant Amy Dixon. The medical biller is Shawn Colter, who works remotely.
Castor’s main job is diagnostic ultrasound and ultrasound guidance during procedures. However, she also takes care of the website and social media and orders all medical supplies. Dixon handles scheduling, insurance prior authorizations, and other administrative duties but also sets up and assists with procedures. Colter does everything behind the scenes to be sure insurance claims get processed.
Reyna, Castor, and Dixon all help with charting patient visits and even cleaning the clinic.
They are fine-tuning their marketing strategies to continue to get the word out about SCVW, but Reyna is pleased with the community’s welcome.
“The response has been overwhelmingly positive, and we have been really busy,” she said. “Thankfully, my suspicions about Hot Springs needing a vascular clinic were correct.”
To learn more about Spa City Vascular & Wellness, which is located at 3620 Central Ave., Suite E, in Hot Springs, visit the clinic’s website, spacityvw.com.