Doctor Profile

Primary Care · Family Practice

Walter M. Short

MD · Family Practice · University Of Arkansas College Of Medicine
4000 LINWOOD DR A
Paragould, AR 72450
✓ Accepts Medicare 🎓 29+ Years Practicing
247
Medicare Patients / yr
8
Procedures Billed
29
Years Practicing
2
Hospital Affiliations
Data Source: Identity from NPPES (2026). Procedure & patient volume from CMS Medicare Provider Utilization & Payment Data (2023). Hospital affiliations from CMS Physician Compare. We display publicly reported data — no personal information required to view any of it.
Reviewed by: Wes Ward, Founder & Data Lead • View our methodology

Important: We are not affiliated with Medicare, CMS, or Walter M. Short's practice. This page displays publicly available CMS data to help you research Medicare providers. We do not sell insurance or represent any insurance company. For official enrollment and complete plan information, visit Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE.

Medicare Plans That Cover Dr. Short

See which plans Dr. Short accepts

We're pulling plan acceptance data directly from insurance carrier provider directories. Until that feed is live for Arkansas, the fastest way to find a Medicare plan that covers Dr. Short is to compare every Medicare Advantage and Part D plan available near 72450, AR — the Family Practice's office can quickly confirm which of the top local plans they accept.

Compare Medicare Plans near 72450, AR →

Or call the office at (870) 239-8503 to confirm acceptance directly.

What Dr. Short Does

Dr. Short served 247 Medicare patients across 321 services in the latest CMS reporting year. That's 77% below the average Family Practice in Arkansas (1,093 patients across 946 doctors).

ProcedureServicesMedicare Patients
Hemoglobin a1c level (83036)6739
Established patient office or other outpatient visit, 30-39 minutes (99214)5539
Established patient office or other outpatient visit, 20-29 minutes (99213)5442
Urinalysis, manual test (81002)4330
Detection test by immunoassay technique for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus and influenza (87428)4036

How to read this: "Services" are the total times Dr. Short billed Medicare for each procedure in the latest reporting year. "Patients" counts unique Medicare beneficiaries. Procedures are shown in plain English; the underlying HCPCS codes are available on request.

Hospital Affiliations

Dr. Short is affiliated with 2 hospitals according to CMS Physician Compare. Below are the 2 hospitals with full quality profiles on our site. Hospital network status depends on your Medicare Advantage plan — always verify before enrolling.

Arkansas Methodist Medical Center

Paragould, AR
★★☆☆☆ 2/5 CMS Rating

St Bernards Medical Center

Jonesboro, AR
★☆☆☆☆ 1/5 CMS Rating

Practice Location & Telehealth Readiness

Dr. Short practices at the address below. If you're evaluating Medicare coverage, location matters for in-network access and — when Dr. Short offers telehealth — broadband availability at your home matters for virtual visits.

Address: 4000 LINWOOD DR A, Paragould, AR 72450
Phone: (870) 239-8503

Area Safety Grade

D+

Block-level crime analysis from CrimeGrade.org.

Practice Accessibility

26 min

Average commute time in this zip · 92% of residents drive to work. Practical context for patients deciding whether to make the trip. See the full neighborhood profile at BestNeighborhood.org.

Telehealth Readiness

99.7006

Households with fiber broadband — important for reliable virtual visits. Check your address at ISPReports.org.

Get directions on Google Maps →

Other Primary Care Doctors near 72450, AR

If Dr. Short isn't accepting new patients or isn't in your plan's network, these are the closest primary care doctors near 72450, AR:

DoctorSpecialtyMedicare Patients / yrDistance
Deborah A. MilesNurse Practitioner2.5K<1 mi
Heather E. BastelNurse Practitioner1.3K<1 mi
Barry HendrixFamily Practice349<1 mi
Dwight M. WilliamsFamily Practice767<1 mi
Mauri S. RogersNurse Practitioner55<1 mi

View all primary care doctors near 72450, AR →

How to Use This Information

Choosing a Medicare plan that covers Dr. Short takes three steps:

Compare Medicare Plans near 72450, AR → All Doctors near 72450, AR

Walter M. Short: Common Questions

Does Dr. Short accept Medicare?
Yes. Dr. Short is enrolled with Medicare and listed in the CMS Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS). Whether a specific Medicare Advantage plan covers Dr. Short depends on that plan's provider network. Compare Medicare plans near 72450, AR →
Where is Dr. Short's office?
Dr. Short practices at 4000 LINWOOD DR A, Paragould, AR 72450. Phone: (870) 239-8503.
What Medicare plans does Dr. Short accept?
Original Medicare (Parts A & B) is accepted. Medicare Advantage plan acceptance varies by carrier and plan year. Call the office at (870) 239-8503 to confirm your specific plan is accepted, or compare all Medicare plans near 72450, AR to see available options.
Does Dr. Short offer telehealth visits?
CMS does not currently list Dr. Short as offering telehealth. Call the office at (870) 239-8503 to confirm whether virtual visits are available.
How experienced is Dr. Short?
Dr. Short graduated in 1997 and has been practicing for approximately 29 years. In the latest CMS reporting year, Dr. Short treated 247 Medicare patients across 8 distinct procedure types.
How do I know if Dr. Short is in-network for my Medicare plan?
Network status varies by plan. The best verification steps: (1) check your plan's provider directory at the carrier's website, (2) call the office at (870) 239-8503 and ask which plans they currently accept, and (3) call the number on the back of your Medicare card. Print our doctor questions checklist →

About the Reviewer

Wes Ward

Wes Ward

Founder & Data Lead

Wes Ward reviews all doctor profiles and methodology for data accuracy. Every Medicare provider page on this site — including the utilization statistics, hospital affiliations, and geocoded practice address — goes through his data-validation pipeline before publication. We display only publicly available CMS data; you never need to enter personal information to see any of it.

With 25+ years in data analytics — including work with highly regulated genomic data at Ancestry.com — Wes brings enterprise-level rigor to healthcare transparency. He is also a co-founder of BestNeighborhood.org (neighborhood data), CrimeGrade.org (block-level safety analytics), and ISPReports.org (broadband availability for telehealth). Those sister sites power the location and telehealth-readiness context on this page.

View full profile →LinkedIn

Data sources: CMS NPPES (2026), CMS Medicare Provider Utilization & Payment Data (2023), CMS Physician Compare, CrimeGrade.org, BestNeighborhood.org, ISPReports.org. This page is for informational purposes only. Always verify coverage directly with the plan and practice. Read our full methodology →Privacy policy

Medicare Resources

Choosing the right Medicare plan involves more than just doctor coverage. These guides help you evaluate the full picture:

Medicare Plans for Conditions Treated by Primary Care Specialists

See which Medicare plans score highest for conditions commonly managed by this specialty in 72450, AR:

Does your Medicare plan cover Dr. Short?

Compare Plans near 72450, AR →