Arkansas Children’s launches a significant clinical expansion for the hospitals in LR and Springdale

Little Rock, Arkansas – The system-wide expansion plan will increase the number of beds available, change how inpatient and outpatient surgery is performed with the creation of an ambulatory surgery center, remodel clinical settings to support interdisciplinary treatment, and construct a welcoming and accessible campus environment.

Polk The project’s official architects are Stanley Wilcox and Cromwell, and Nabholz will oversee construction.

“Pediatric health needs are more complex than ever before and we are committed to the highest levels of access and health care quality for the children and families across the state,” said Arkansas Children’s President and CEO Marcy Doderer, FACHE. “This plan includes recruiting more than 100 new providers and 400 new team members, adding new programs, and building and modernizing facilities.”

According to a news release, the expansion will take place over the following eight years and will cost close to $318 million in construction at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock and Arkansas Children’s Northwest in Springdale.

The system-wide expansion plan will increase the number of beds available, change how inpatient and outpatient surgery is performed with the creation of an ambulatory surgery center, remodel clinical settings to support interdisciplinary treatment, and construct a welcoming and accessible campus environment.

The project’s official architects are Polk Stanley Wilcox and Cromwell, and Nabholz will be in charge of managing construction.

“We are very early in the process and are engaging several work groups and partners in this effort. We will take our time and do this right with our team and with the community,” said Jamie Wiggins, Ph.D., MBA, RN, FACHE, Arkansas Children’s Chief Operating Officer. “This has always been the state’s children’s health system and we will honor our partners in this process.”

Although planning and engineering teams are still refining their recommendations for the improvements, they anticipate 265,000 square feet of new facilities and another makeover that will cover more than 170,000 square feet.

In-depth schematics will be made available in the fall.

“For more than a century, Arkansas Children’s has written the story of cutting-edge pediatric care, expanding access and delivering excellence as we’ve evolved from an orphanage to a hospital to a pediatric health system,” said Arkansas Children’s President and CEO Marcy Doderer, FACHE. “We are building the future together in this next chapter in our story. The result will define excellence and deliver a healthier tomorrow for the children of Arkansas and the region.”

According to the news release, the investment follows significant growth at the health system’s regional clinics since 2018, which included opening Arkansas Children’s Northwest, adding capacity for specialty care in Jonesboro, opening a primary care clinic in Pine Bluff, and debuting additional care spaces in Springdale.

In 2022, Arkansas Children’s served 169,000 kids, which was a record number of kids, and the demand for services is only increasing.

Team members received direct information on the project from Doderer, who demonstrated a video introducing it during a series of open town hall meetings.

“I’ve worked in this organization for decades and I think we have always tried to listen to the community and meet the needs of our patients and families,” said Lea Woodrow, a 45-year veteran nurse and team member. “It’s hard to put into words how excited I am that we are moving in this direction. It will be such a difference maker.”

“Every child deserves to have timely access to great pediatric health care,” said Shannon Hendrix, MS, RD, LD, FACHE, chief administrator of Arkansas Children’s Northwest.
“Expanded services will reach children in every corner of the state and well into the region. These new world-class facilities are where a new generation of care begins.”