2026 NPPES data Family Nurse Practitioner NPI 1710647979 APRN
Verify on CMS →

PAULA BALLARD, APRN

Family Nurse Practitioner in FORT SMITH, Arkansas. CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System profile including specialty classification, practice address, and Medicare prescribing data when reported.

Federal data — no proprietary rating. PlainDoctor publishes the actual CMS NPPES and Medicare records — NPI registration, specialty, practice location, and prescribing data — without a composite score or editorial opinion on top. Every field traces to a federal source.
Prescribing volume
163
Medicare Part D claims · 100 beneficiaries · Family Nurse Practitioner avg: 1K
What the federal data reveals: PAULA BALLARD, APRN is a Family Nurse Practitioner ([object Object]) practicing in FORT SMITH, Arkansas with a Medicare Part D prescribing footprint of 163 claims across 100 beneficiaries .

What stands out: PAULA BALLARD, APRN filed 163 Medicare Part D claims in 2023 across FORT SMITH, Arkansas. Every figure on this page comes straight from federal CMS records, with no proprietary rating applied.

PAULA BALLARD, APRN at a glance

Quality data not reported

NPI registry status

Active

Issued 12/29/2021

NPI 1710647979

Primary specialty

Family Nurse Practitioner

High-volume

209,817 US NPIs in this specialty

Medicare Part D claims

163 87% vs specialty avg

2023 prescription claims

Specialty avg: 1,222

Specialty distribution in Arkansas

How Family Nurse Practitioner compares to other specialties among Arkansas providers

Arkansas providers

Family Nurse Practitioner share within Arkansas

1. Family Nurse Practitioner42%2. Internal medicine21%3. Family medicine17%4. Surgical12%5. Pediatric8%
Family Nurse Practitioner share within Arkansas

Specialty board-certification context

Estimated specialty board-certified rate — Family Nurse Practitioner (ABMS / AOA reference)

Quality data not reported
Est. board-certified rate
78%
Family Nurse Practitioner ABMS/AOA estimate

Est. board-certified rate (Family Nurse Practitioner) — ABMS / AOA estimate

0%100%78%
Est. board-certified rate (Family Nurse Practitioner) — ABMS / AOA estimate

The Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) scores providers 0–100 across four performance categories: Quality, Cost, Promoting Interoperability, and Improvement Activities, weighted under 42 CFR §414.1380. Reporting is voluntary for many small practices, so absence of a MIPS score is not a quality signal.

Board certification through an ABMS or AOA member board signals voluntary post-licensure examination plus continuous Maintenance of Certification cycles. Verify any individual provider's status through certificationmatters.org (ABMS) or osteopathic.org (AOA).

PAULA BALLARD, APRN is a Family Nurse Practitioner provider practicing in FORT SMITH, Arkansas, according to the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES). Credentials: APRN. NPI: 1710647979. This profile includes practice location, specialty classification, and organizational affiliations from the CMS provider registry. Provider information is self-reported to CMS and updated monthly.

PAULA BALLARD, APRN appears in the CMS NPPES registry as a Family Nurse Practitioner provider holding APRN credentials at 7301 ROGERS AVE, FORT SMITH, AR, 72903, with a listed phone of (479) 314-6248. NPI 1710647979 was issued on 12/29/2021. Because NPPES data is self-reported by the provider and refreshed monthly, the address, phone, and specialty reflect what BALLARD most recently submitted to CMS rather than a vetted directory listing, which is why patients should always confirm the practice is still at this location before scheduling.

Medicare Part D records for calendar year 2023 show 163 prescription claims written by this provider, covering 100 Medicare beneficiaries and totaling roughly $2K in drug spend, with an opioid prescribing rate of 17.8%. These figures capture only Medicare Part D — commercial insurance, Medicaid, and cash-pay prescriptions are not included, and any drug-beneficiary cell under 11 is suppressed by CMS for patient privacy.

Family Nurse Practitioner is a high-volume specialty nationwide, with 209,817 enrolled providers across 56 states and an average of 1,222 Part D claims per prescriber, so the context for interpreting these metrics differs meaningfully from a primary-care baseline. Important: PlainDoctor is a directory of publicly available government data, not medical advice, a malpractice database, or a quality rating. Inclusion here does not imply a recommendation, and absence of complaints or sanctions on this page does not mean none exist — always verify credentials through the NPPES NPI Registry, your state medical board, and the ABMS or AOA before making healthcare decisions.

Practice Address

7301 ROGERS AVE
FORT SMITH, AR 72903

Provider Details

NPI 1710647979
Specialty Family Nurse Practitioner
Credentials APRN
Gender Female
NPI Issued 12/29/2021

Hospital and facility affiliations

Facilities where PAULA BALLARD, APRN bills Medicare from. Star ratings (1-5) are CMS Hospital Compare's "Hospital overall rating" — a composite of mortality, readmission, patient experience, safety, timely care, and efficient use of medical imaging measures. Source: CMS Care Compare.

MERCY CLINIC FORT SMITH COMMUNITIES
FORT SMITH, AR

Affiliations sourced from CMS Doctors and Clinicians National Downloadable File; hospital ratings from CMS Hospital General Information dataset (cross-referenced by facility name + state).

Medicare Part D Prescribing Data

CMS Medicare Part D prescriber-level data for calendar year 2023.

163
Total Claims
$2K
Total Drug Cost
100
Medicare Beneficiaries

Prescribing Breakdown

30-Day Fills
165
Total Day Supply
1,156
Generic Drug Cost
$1K
Opioid Claims
29 (17.8% rate)
Antibiotic Claims
43

Patient Demographics

Average Patient Age
62.0 years
Avg HCC Risk Score
1.45
Gender Split
74% female / 26% male
Age Distribution
<65: 49, 65-74: 33, 75-84: N/A, 85+: N/A

Top Prescribed Drugs (Medicare Part D)

Top drugs by claim count for calendar year 2023. Based on Medicare Part D data only.

Drug Claims
Prednisone
32
Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen
Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen
28
Ondansetron Odt
Ondansetron
22
Cephalexin
13

* Counts below 11 are suppressed by CMS for patient privacy. Generic names shown where available from CMS Part D data.

Family Nurse Practitioner Overview

How PAULA BALLARD, APRN fits within the Family Nurse Practitioner landscape nationally.

209,817
Family Nurse Practitioner Providers in US
56
States with Family Nurse Practitioner
1,222
Avg Claims per Provider

PAULA BALLARD, APRN's 163 claims are below the specialty average of 1,222.

Nearby Family Nurse Practitioner Providers in Arkansas

Other clinicians with the same primary specialty enrolled in Arkansas, drawn from the same CMS NPPES roster as BALLARD.

Compare Family Nurse Practitioner nationally: see state-by-state distribution →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is PAULA BALLARD, APRN's specialty?
PAULA BALLARD, APRN specializes in Family Nurse Practitioner and practices in FORT SMITH, Arkansas. Credentials: APRN.
How much does PAULA BALLARD, APRN prescribe under Medicare Part D?
In 2023, PAULA BALLARD, APRN wrote 163 Medicare Part D claims totaling $2K in drug costs for 100 beneficiaries.
Where is PAULA BALLARD, APRN located?
PAULA BALLARD, APRN is located at 7301 ROGERS AVE, FORT SMITH, AR, 72903. Phone: (479) 314-6248.
What is PAULA BALLARD, APRN's NPI number?
PAULA BALLARD, APRN's National Provider Identifier (NPI) is 1710647979, issued on 12/29/2021.
Does PAULA BALLARD, APRN prescribe opioids?
Yes, PAULA BALLARD, APRN had 29 opioid claims in 2023 with an opioid prescribing rate of 17.8%.
How many Family Nurse Practitioner providers are there in the US?
There are 209,817 Family Nurse Practitioner providers across 56 states in the US. The average Family Nurse Practitioner provider writes 1,222 Medicare Part D claims per year.
What drugs does PAULA BALLARD, APRN prescribe most often?
Based on 2023 Medicare Part D data, PAULA BALLARD, APRN's most frequently prescribed drugs include Prednisone, Hydrocodone-Acetaminophen, Ondansetron Odt. This reflects Medicare Part D prescriptions only and does not include commercial insurance or other payer types.
Does PAULA BALLARD, APRN accept Medicare?
PAULA BALLARD, APRN appears in CMS Medicare data with 163 Part D claims and 100 Medicare beneficiaries in 2023. Contact the provider's office directly to confirm current Medicare enrollment and accepted plans.
How can I verify PAULA BALLARD, APRN's credentials?
PAULA BALLARD, APRN's NPI is 1710647979 with credentials APRN. You can verify this through the NPPES NPI Registry, check state medical board records, and confirm board certification through the ABMS or AOA.

Data Sources

Provider Directory
CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), download.cms.gov/nppes, updated monthly. Contains NPI, specialty, credentials, and practice location.
Specialty Classification
NUCC Health Care Provider Taxonomy (nucc.org), the industry standard for classifying provider specialties in Medicare and Medicaid billing.
Prescribing Data
CMS Medicare Part D Prescriber Public Use File (2023). Includes claims, drug costs, beneficiaries, and opioid prescribing rates.
Limitations
Provider data is self-reported to CMS. Prescribing data reflects Medicare Part D only and does not include commercial insurance, Medicaid, or cash prescriptions. Claims below 11 beneficiaries are suppressed by CMS for privacy.

See our complete data methodology for details on how we collect and process government data.

Data as of April 2026 (NPPES) / 2023 (Medicare Part D). Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Disclaimer: Data from CMS NPPES and Medicare Part D. PlainDoctor does not rate or rank providers. Provider information is self-reported and may not be current. Always verify information directly with the provider. About · Methodology