Arkansas Children’s leadership, alongside lead investors and patient families, launched a $70 million campaign to transform children’s health in the region. CARE CLOSE TO HOME: The Campaign for Arkansas Children’s Northwest will fund construction of a freestanding children’s hospital in Northwest Arkansas.
“Care close to home means providing pediatric care to the region’s 200,000 children – emergency care, pediatric surgery, cancer treatments, a robust offering of subspecialty pediatric services, and a direct link to Angel One,” said Marcy Doderer, president and CEO of Arkansas Children’s. “We are humbled and grateful to our friends and investors who have stepped forward with transformational support to improve children’s health in Northwest Arkansas.”
When it opens in January 2018, the 233,613 square-foot hospital will be the region’s first and only comprehensive pediatric healthcare center and will include:
• 24 inpatient beds to care for children requiring overnight stays
• 24-hour pediatric Emergency Department
• Pediatric surgery unit with 5 operating rooms
• An outpatient clinic with 30 exam rooms supporting more than 20 subspecialty areas and a general pediatric clinic
• A full range of ancillary and diagnostic services, child life and pastoral care
• Outdoor gardens, nature trails, and interactive features designed for children
• A helipad and refueling station supporting Angel One, one of the nation’s leading pediatric intensive care transport services with more than 2,000 transports annually
Arkansas Children’s Northwest is being built on 37 acres of land. This $7.5 million gift was donated by Robin and Gary George, Cathy and David Evans and their families. The campus is centrally located on I-49 between Don Tyson Parkway and Highway 412, across from Arvest Ballpark. The project is expected to cost $427.7 million in construction, technology, equipment, and operating expenses over the next five years, and will create 250 new jobs.
“Arkansas Children's Northwest reflects 10 years of planning and collaboration. Once open, we fully expect that the scope of facilities and programs will evolve and expand,” said Fred Scarborough, president and chief development officer of Arkansas Children’s Foundation. “The campus is being designed to meet the needs of children. Our plan is rooted in an evidence-based approach to pediatric care with quality and flexibility as key elements of the design. As demand for services in the region increases, we will respond and grow accordingly. This children’s hospital belongs to the region.”
Marking significant progress towards the campaign’s $70 million goal, Doderer announced that lead investors have pledged $53 million in commitments to date. Arkansas Children’s Caring Community, a core group of corporations, foundations and individuals who are leading the fundraising efforts for Arkansas Children’s Northwest, were celebrated on stage at the annual Color of Hope Gala.
Those recognized included:
• The Tyson Family and Tyson Foods, Inc. donated $15 million, the largest single gift in Arkansas Children’s history. The gift established the Tyson Family Tower on the hospital’s campus.
• Robin and Gary George and David and Cathy Evans and their families donated $7.5 million dollars of land in Springdale. Robin and Gary George made an additional $1 million gift providing for the Robin George Chapel.
• Walmart and Walmart Foundation announced a historic gift of $8 million to the project, one of their largest gifts to healthcare. The company has a longstanding relationship with Arkansas Children’s through the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
• J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc., longtime partner of Arkansas Children’s, committed $5 million to the construction.
• Will Golf for Kids and Color of Hope committees pledged $5 million to be given to the project over the next five years through their annual fundraisers.
Additional members of the Caring Community – Terri and Chuck Erwin, Cynthia and Kirk Dupps, Premier Concepts, Karen and Darren Horton, Johnelle Hunt, the Willard & Pat Walker Charitable Foundation, Inc., the Fadil Bayyari Family, and the estate of Mildred and Jarrell Gray - were recognized from the stage for their generosity, leadership and commitment to the Care Close to Home campaign.
“Arkansas Children's Northwest has experienced fantastic support since this project was announced a year ago. Support has come from businesses and individuals across Northwest Arkansas with commitments exceeding $53 million as of today,” said Gary George. “We are hopeful that every business, every organization and every family throughout the region will consider supporting this project for the children of this part of the state.”
Doug McMillon, president and CEO of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., delivered the keynote address at Friday evening’s Color of Hope Gala. Highlighting the need for a children’s hospital in the community, he noted, “Let’s work together to bring hope to all of those who need expert pediatric care close to home. If we continue to work together, I believe we can make Arkansas Children’s Northwest something to be proud of for generations to come.”
Arkansas Children’s Northwest is being designed by Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects of Fayetteville and Little Rock, Ark., and FKP Architects of Houston, Texas. Nabholz Construction is overseeing construction. The hospital is scheduled to open in January 2018. The campus is an integral part of Arkansas Children’s Hospital’s plan to transform the health of children in Arkansas by expanding access to pediatric services across the region.