Outpatient Surgery Facility and Expanded Pediatric Clinical Research Unit are Part of a $371 Million Expansion StatewideLITTLE ROCK — Arkansas Children’s debuts to families a transformative milestone in its $371 million statewide expansion this week. The patient-focused Champions Pavilion, new lobby and gallery at Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) feature an easier outpatient surgery experience, expanded clinical research capabilities and centralized family services.
Champions Pavilion, a 157,000-square-foot, three-story facility, was designed to emphasize a family’s perspective and needs, and engineered to solve capacity constraints while providing families with a stress-free experience that prioritizes their time and their child’s comfort.
The new lobby and gallery bring essential family services to the front of the hospital, creating an experience that’s easier to navigate. Designers infused discovery and delight in the new space with the addition of arching butterfly sculptures symbolizing a patient’s journey.
“This expansion is a welcoming new front door for our entire system,” said Arkansas Children’s President & CEO, Marcy Doderer. “By streamlining access, we are delivering an experience that minimizes wait times and replaces uncertainty with peace of mind. It is a privilege to pair our clinical expertise with the most sophisticated, contemporary approaches to care. We aren’t simply opening a building; we are inviting our community into the future of the patient experience.”
Generous investments from community leaders and donors have turned the statewide expansion into a reality. To date, the Arkansas Children’s Foundation has raised over $35 million for ACH’s expansion, anchored by lead gifts from B. Thomas Golisano and the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Auxiliary.
Revolutionizing the Patient Experience
From valet parking and seamless check-in to a café located directly in the waiting area, Champions Pavilion is designed to make care easier for families. The facility introduces a “one-stop shop” model for the state’s only nationally ranked pediatric Orthopedics program and a massive leap forward in clinical research and surgical efficiency.Key features of the Three-Story Expansion:
World-Class Orthopedics & Sports Medicine: Expansion from 16 to 26 exam rooms, featuring eight individual casting rooms and three on-site X-ray/EOS imaging suites. The program now includes a state-of-the-art rehab space complete with a turf field, track and regulation wooden basketball court to help young athletes return to play safely. From triage to X-ray to clinic and dynamic rehab, every turn of the new Arkansas Children’s sports medicine and ortho space is designed as a one-stop-shop making treatment faster and easier.
Advanced Outpatient Surgery: A market-leading outpatient surgery facility features eight operating rooms with ability to expand. By making it easier for parents to stay close to their children, these suites help soothe young patients' fears both before and after their procedures. All post-op recovery areas now offer increased privacy with walled spaces. Arkansas Children’s will be able to provide nationally acclaimed outpatient surgical care that will also come with easier scheduling and quicker discharge for everything from ear tubes to minimally invasive gastrointestinal procedures.
The Future of Discovery: A state-of-the-art Pediatric Clinical Research Unit (PCRU) brings cutting-edge science closer to children and families. With up to 16 private rooms and a dedicated food allergy prep kitchen, the PCRU allows Arkansas families to access emerging treatments — including gene therapy and new biologics for asthma and allergies — years before they reach the general market. A new 5,000-square-foot automated lab drastically reduces wait times for critical diagnoses.Statewide Impact
While Champions Pavilion hosts outpatients at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock, the system-wide expansion also includes a 72,000-square-foot addition at Arkansas Children’s Northwest (ACNW) in Springdale, scheduled to open in phases through this fall. The hospital will expand to 40 inpatient beds to support growing demand in northwest Arkansas.Within two years of completing the expansion, the number of expert providers is expected to grow by 40% at ACH and 70% at ACNW, ensuring that world-class pediatric care is never out of reach for families across the heartland.
