Dennis Blankenship, MD
Nephrology · Texarkana, ARNPI 1821086547
Payments from drug & device makers
What this record shows
Almost everything reported here is food and beverage — 91.1% of the total across 32 separate payments, which is the pattern of a clinician who attends manufacturer presentations rather than one with a consulting arrangement. 9 manufacturers reported payments, led by Bayer at 31.5% of the total. Reporting peaked in 2021 at $306 and has fallen 92.7% since, to $22 in 2024. That places this record below the midpoint for nephrology clinicians in AR, where the typical reported total is $925.
Across 32 payments — averaging $20.04 each. Meals, travel, consulting and speaking fees, gifts and royalties reported by drug and device makers.
- Bayer$202
- Vifor Pharma, Inc.$112
- GSK$77
- AstraZeneca$71
- Misonix Inc$58
- Amgen$50
- plus $70 from 3 others
What the payments were for
- Food & beverage$58491%
- Education$579%
Most of this is food and beverage — typically meals provided during product presentations at a clinic or hospital. Nationally that is the single largest category of reported payments by count.
General payments by program year
Who reported the general payments
Companies are grouped under their corporate parent — a single manufacturer often files under several CMS reporting entities. Research and ownership payments are counted separately and are not in this table.
| Company | Payments | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Bayer | 10 | $202 |
| Vifor Pharma, Inc. | 5 | $112 |
| GSK | 5 | $77 |
| AstraZeneca | 4 | $71 |
| Misonix Inc | 2 | $58 |
| Amgen | 2 | $50 |
| Calliditas Therapeutics US Inc. | 2 | $30 |
| Mallinckrodt Hospital Products Inc. | 1 | $24 |
| Organogenesis Inc. | 1 | $17 |
How this compares
$641 in reported general payments places this provider in the 45th percentile of 85 nephrology providers in Arkansas.
Medicare billing
What this is not: this is the amount Original Medicare Part B allowed for services this provider billed in 2024. It is not their income. It excludes Medicare Advantage — now more than half of all Medicare enrollment — along with Medicaid and all commercial insurance, and it is gross practice revenue before staff, rent, supplies and malpractice premiums. CMS also suppresses any figure covering ten or fewer patients, so low-volume providers appear smaller than they are.
Most prescribed under Part D
| Drug | Claims | Cost to plans & patients |
|---|---|---|
| JanuviaSitagliptin Phosphate | 11 | $14,036 |
| Sevelamer Carbonate | 30 | $4,324 |
| Lantus SolostarInsulin Glargine,hum.Rec.Anlog | 32 | $3,530 |
| Calcium Acetate | 47 | $1,262 |
| Omega-3 Acid Ethyl Esters | 18 | $913 |
| Atorvastatin Calcium | 44 | $334 |
| Gabapentin | 30 | $329 |
| Potassium Chloride | 19 | $316 |
| Furosemide | 64 | $243 |
| Hydroxychloroquine Sulfate | 12 | $235 |
| Rosuvastatin Calcium | 12 | $212 |
| Carvedilol | 29 | $204 |
| Clonidine Hcl | 25 | $200 |
| Allopurinol | 58 | $193 |
| Hydralazine Hcl | 32 | $192 |
Paid to pharmacies, not to this prescriber.
Other nephrology in Texarkana
- Drew HeipleRussellville$236K
- Luis JuncosLittle Rock$66K
- John HeifnerLittle Rock$45K
- Shaker QaqishNorth Little Rock$16K
- Michael GerschHot Springs$10K
- Mary Shaver-LewisConway$10K
- Clinton EdwardsJonesboro$8K
- Hania Al-ShahrouriFort Smith$8K
- Mashhud MirzaMarion$7K
- John ArthurLittle Rock$7K
Where these figures come from
- Payments: CMS Open Payments, program years 2019–2025 (publication P06302026_06032026).
- Billing: Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners, data year 2024. Original Medicare Part B only.
- Identity: NPPES NPI Registry, July 2026.