Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
ACH on the move
Marcy Doderer, president/CEO of Arkansas Children’s Hospital, has a very clear vision for the future: a state where all children have access to excellent pediatric care.
To that end, ACH is expanding services in northwest Arkansas, and senior leadership is in the planning phase of a new children’s hospital campus in Springdale. The following were questions Doderer answered during a sit-down interview in Springdale recently.
NWADG: Why Northwest Arkansas?
Doderer: Like many children’s hospitals, we’ve operated under a ‘hub-and-spoke’ model, with the hospital being the hub and everything else reaching out across our state to bring children to Little Rock for care. As our state grows and as the population grows, we looked at Northwest Arkansas, where there is a significant number of children now. It doesn’t make sense to continue to ask these families to drive to Little Rock for all their care. We believe there are enough children in this area of the state to anchor a second Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
NWADG: Why a children’s hospital?
Doderer: We know children’s hospitals are different. There is great health care being delivered in Northwest Arkansas today, but by adult hospital systems. Children’s hospitals are organized specifically to take care of children. We recruit people who are specifically trained to care for children. We create programs, build facilities and purchase equipment specifically for children. A children’s hospital will augment the services already being offered and bring new services to families in Northwest Arkansas.
NWADG: Why now?
Doderer: Part of it is the timing and the number of children in Northwest Arkansas now. It’s such a growing population and there are a lot of young families. Arkansas Children’s Hospital is prepared to invest significantly in improving children’s health. We have the ability to expand our services and work in partnership with the community to grow.
We are Arkansas’ children’s hospital and, as such, we want to be the pediatric healthcare solution for the entire state. If we don’t step forward, there is no sign of health improvement for children on the horizon. We believe care for children in Arkansas should be delivered by Arkansas Children’s Hospital. It’s what we do best.
NWADG: What makes Springdale so attractive?
Doderer: Springdale makes sense for a number of reasons. It has the largest population of children in need. There are a significant number of children living in poverty – and a large number of children who speak English as a second language – who lack access to pediatric services.
Also, when we looked at traffi patterns and how people move, commute and shop, placing the hospital in Springdale makes it easily accessible. With the proposed location, more than 70 percent of people in this area could be at the hospital within 30 minutes. That is really important for parents. When their child gets hurt or their child is running a fever or is sick, parents want to know they can get care quickly. Having an emergency room designed just for kids is going to be a really great thing for families.
While there’s a good business case to be made, our mission of championing children by making them better today and healthier tomorrow is the most compelling reason to make this bold move.
NWADG: What services will be provided?
Doderer: This facility will be a separately licensed hospital. I think that’s important for people to understand. It’s not just an outpatient center. We are not merely growing our existing clinic in Lowell. The hospital will have inpatient beds, an emergency center, operating rooms, all the laboratory and diagnostic treatment services and a large outpatient presence. We will relocate our staff and patients from the clinic in Lowell to Springdale. It will be a full-service campus with the exception of critical care. We will not have a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit here. The community doesn’t need it because there are strong neo natal services already present. We will not offer pediatric intensive care at the Springdale campus because the services in Little Rock are large enough to support the entire state. Plus, the resources needed to support the most critically ill and injured children are difficult to replicate while ensuring the highest quality care and best outcomes for kids.
NWADG: What role will philanthropy play in this project?
Doderer: This project represents an investment of $400 million in construction and operating costs over the next five years. It’s an expensive endeavor, but one we know we must undertake in order to improve the health of children in Northwest Arkansas. Quite simply, revenue generated will not cover the costs of delivering the necessary care to patients. This is why philanthropic support is crucial to improving the health of children. ACH is prepared to invest $114 million in cash, assets and debt financing; assume the ongoing operating risks and inspire the community to engage in philanthropy. We need the community to support the project in bold ways, which we will outline in the coming months. Right now, we are working with leadership donors to pave the way to a groundbreaking next spring.
NWADG: What are your long-term goals?
Doderer: It is not a short-term project. Even though our business plan has a five-year horizon, our vision is to create a destination for children and families right here in Northwest Arkansas. The gift of land of 37 acres from the George and Evans families affords us a much longer view. We will build with expansion pang in mind without disrupting the services offered. We want it to not only be a health care facility, but also a place that creates opportunities for families to learn about health.
Springdale mayor Doug Sprouse ouse echoed Doderer’s sentiments aboutbout the impact this hospital will haveve on Springdale.
“Having ACH in Springdale will be a tremendous blessing to the families of Springdale and Northwest Arkansas who utilize their services,” Sprouse said. “This is big news for Springdale and people who otherwise wouldn’t have access to the hospital or be able to makeke that trip to Little Rock.”
Doderer also spoke about the economic benefit the hospital will have on the area as a whole.
“The investment in the construction, capital and equipment will have great impact on the community,” Doderer said. “There will be 325 fulltime employees at the new hospital. Research by the American Hospital Association shows for every one job a hospital brings, there’s a multiplier of 1.8 jobs created because of
70 More percentthan of people in this area could be at the hospital within 30 minutes.
everything that goes into supporting a hospital. We project within the first five years of being open there will be 700 new good-paying jobs created in the community – jobs aimed at achieving the mission of improving children’s health.”