Walmart heir Alice Walton's health care advocacy nonprofit now has an 85,000-square-foot home open to the public with the goal of connecting art and wellness — right between her art museum and future medical school.

Why it matters: Heartland Whole Health Institute's mission is to improve access to health care and decrease health care costs, interim executive director Claude Pirtle told Axios.

• The new building is not only where the staff will work but where much of the nonprofit's outreach and educational efforts will take place.

State of play: The three-story building's first floor is open to the public with artwork, a café, rentable event space and outdoor lawn and courtyard areas. The institute will host wellness-focused events like yoga, tai chi and nutrition counseling, Pirtle said.

• A meditation room on the second floor is also for public use.

The intrigue: The organization's advocacy work includes promoting value-based care, which aligns incentives with payment for health care professionals to get better patient outcomes. Value-based care puts more of an emphasis on preventative care like nutrition and lifestyle rather than simply treating illnesses as they arise, Pirtle said.

• Value-based systems tie payment for health care services to results like quality and equity, according to the American Medical Association.

What they're saying: "I want everybody to come see this," Walton said last week during a media event. "I want people when they come to Crystal Bridges — come on up the hill. We will always have exhibitions going here as well. This area will always be open to the public, and the exhibitions here will focus on art and healing and the integration of those things."

The big picture: The Whole Health Institute is one of several related projects, all with the goal of transforming health care and increasing access to art and wellness opportunities in the heartland.

• The Alice L. Walton School of Medicine, a four-year medical school, opens in July in Bentonville. Students will be taught a "whole health" model that focuses on overall well-being, including emotional, mental and physical health, with an emphasis on preventative care and social determinants of health.
• The Alice L. Walton Foundation also recently announced it will build health care facilities — starting with cardiac services — on a 100-acre campus in Bentonville.
• Crystal Bridges is also undergoing a major expansion, largely to incorporate more community-oriented spaces.

Zoom in: The building itself "embodies the core elements of whole health," architect Marlon Blackwell said. "It's surrounded by nature and shaped by nature."

• It was designed with the Ozarks in mind and meant to "flow."
• You won't find many right angles but you will encounter a winding staircase, lots of natural light, limestone floors and giraffe-stone walls.

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As downtown Rogers embraces its fresh Railyard Entertainment District, food offerings have expanded. It was hard to pass up nearby House 1830 on a recent Saturday, but Tusk & Trotter's newest location and its brunch menu deserved a looksee.

The food: Lemon soufflé pancakes? Carrot cake waffles? Chicken and waffle? It can be tough to choose just one when you're starving.

• I finally settled on a combo of faves: The Southern Benedict ($16) replaces the English muffin with a biscuit, the hollandaise sauce with sausage gravy, the ham with bacon. Hmmm.

The verdict: This is a great twist on a classic dish. T&T's biscuits are hardy, large and fluffy, though that's mostly a guess because they were smothered in delicious gravy.

• My critique is that the poached eggs were overdone so there was no runny yolk.
• It's possible the gravy continued to cook the eggs between kitchen and table, or it could've been an off day for the cook.

Flashback: T&T is a bit of an OG in Bentonville's culinary renaissance. It began serving downtown in 2011, the same year Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art opened.

• In 2012, owner-chef Rob Nelson called his fare "old American comfort foods with a modern twist and a little European flair."
• Yes.

Check it out: Big and airy inside, the Rogers location is a very different space from the Bentonville restaurant which has an intimate feel.

• Serving 11am-9pm Monday-Friday and 10am-9pm Saturday and Sunday at 106 W. Elm St. in Rogers.

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📻 The futures of NPR stations in Arkansas are uncertain after President Donald Trump's executive order to cut funding. (Arkansas Democrat-Gazette)

🏨 Walmart heirs Steuart and Tom Walton's construction company, Blue Crane, is building a 124-room boutique hotel in downtown Springdale. (Northwest Arkansas Business Journal)

🎻 Bentonville has a new community orchestra for adult amateur musicians. (Bentonville Bulletin)

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Today is Cinco de Mayo, a holiday that marks the anniversary of an 1862 Mexican victory over France.

Here's where to party:

• Natural State Beer Company in Rogers is throwing a party with $5 Mexican lager and $2 tacos.
• Trailhead Tap in Bentonville is serving up $15 buckets of Mexican beer.
• Crisis Brewing in Fayetteville will release a Mexican lager at its "Crisis de Mayo" party.
• Waldo's Chicken and Beer in Bentonville is offering $5 margaritas.
• Danger Dave's in Bentonville is going all out with a costume contest for best sombrero, tequila shots and tacos.

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