Arkansas Children's Northwest expands care
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Inside a new inpatient room at Arkansas Children's Northwest. Photo: Alex Golden/Axios
Northwest Arkansas' only pediatric hospital has expanded significantly eight years after it opened to meet the region's growing needs.
Why it matters: Arkansas Children's Northwest in Springdale can offer more care and treat more patients close to home, preventing families from having to travel.
Stunning stat: The number of inpatient beds increased from 24 to 40. The hospital had 31 inpatient children on Wednesday, meaning seven of them would have had to travel or wait in the ER at the hospital's former capacity, Rustin Morse, the hospital's senior vice president and chief administrator, told Axios.
- The hospital now has three double-occupancy rooms, up from one, that can keep siblings who need care, for example.
The big picture: The move comes as health care and community leaders are pushing for increased and improved offerings to care for NWA's growing population and its surrounding areas.
By the numbers: The hospital added 50,000 square feet and renovated 23,000 square feet, spokesperson Joey Jackson told Axios.
Highlights include:
- Two new operating rooms plus a procedure room and endoscopy room.
- Expanded care for diabetes patients, including inpatient capacity.
- Ability to perform sleep studies, which were previously only done in Little Rock.
- A relocated and expanded infusion center, where patients receive chemotherapy and other treatments.
- Private rooms where families can wait.
- Space for occupational and physical therapy.
- Increased space for patients with cancer and blood disorders, including play areas for immunocompromised children.
- Relocated and revamped pharmacy and laboratory space.
What they're saying: Arkansas Children's Northwest has also been recruiting doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and other staff, Morse said.
- Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock has also been expanding, and the hospital system plans to hire 500 new staff across both hospitals, spokesperson Hilary DeMillo previously told Axios.
State of play: Arkansas Children's Northwest does many orthopedic and sports-related surgeries at its Springdale hospital, in addition to common childhood surgeries like ear tubes, tonsillectomies and appendectomies, Morse said.
Yes, but: Some advanced procedures like heart or brain surgery continue to be performed only at Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock. Surgeons travel to NWA to see patients for follow-up appointments.
- The Springdale hospital also transfers some trauma patients, as it does not have an intensive care unit and its emergency department doesn't have as much capability as the Little Rock hospital.
What's next: Arkansas Children's is already considering further expansion needs, president and CEO Marcy Doderer told Axios in the spring.