(Springdale) Saturday, July 30 – Robin and Gary George of Springdale, Ark., have made an additional gift of $1 million to the construction of Arkansas Children’s Northwest. The chapel in the new hospital will be named the Robin George Chapel in recognition of Robin’s long-time involvement with the Pastoral Care program at Arkansas Children’s and in honor the couple’s continued generosity.
“Our family is grateful to Arkansas Children’s Hospital for the care our children and grandchildren have received. We are so pleased our support of Arkansas Children’s Northwest will provide care close to home for families in the region,” says Robin George. “We hope the chapel at Arkansas Children’s Northwest will provide comfort, strength and be a peaceful place for families during times of need.”
Robin and Gary George are longtime friends and advocates for Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Robin has served on the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Foundation Board since 2002. Shortly after her term began, she worked with the Pastoral Care Department to create a prayer list for patients at ACH. Today, that list is emailed to more than 1,000 people who pray weekly for the children whose parents or caregivers have placed them on the list.
“The George family has a personal history with ACH and is deeply invested in making children better today and healthier tomorrow,” says Fred Scarborough, Chief Development Officer for Arkansas Children’s, Inc. “The George and Evans family gift of 37 acres in Springdale allowed us to take the first step in building Arkansas Children’s Northwest. With this latest gift, they are championing an essential element of providing a full spectrum of care close to home for the children in this region.”
In August 2015, Arkansas Children’s, Inc. announced plans to build a freestanding children’s hospital in Springdale, Ark. Current plans for Arkansas Children’s Northwest include 233,613 square feet of inpatient beds, emergency care, diagnostic services and clinical space. The campus will also include walking trails, gardens and a helipad and refueling station. This gift brings the announced total raised by the Northwest Arkansas community for the construction of ACNW to $30.5 million.
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.
Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) is the only pediatric medical center in Arkansas and one of the largest in the United States serving children from birth to age 21. Over the past century, ACH has grown from a small orphanage in Little Rock to a statewide network of care that includes an expansive pediatric teaching hospital and research institute, as well as regional clinics in several counties. ACH also reaches children across the state and nation through a range of telemedicine capabilities that ensures every child has access to the best care available, regardless of location or resources. The hospital’s campus in Little Rock spans 36 city blocks and houses 359 beds, a staff of 505 physicians, over 200 residents in pediatrics and pediatric specialties and more than 4,000 employees. A campus under development in northwest Arkansas will bring 233,613 square feet of inpatient beds, emergency care, clinic rooms and diagnostic services to children in that region of the state. A private nonprofit, ACH boasts an internationally renowned reputation for medical breakthroughs and intensive treatments, unique surgical procedures and forward-thinking research — all dedicated to fulfilling its mission of championing children by making them better today and healthier tomorrow. For more info, visit archildrens.org/northwest.
