Arkansas Children’s in Springdale, Arkansas, has announced a $25 million gift from the Willard & Pat Walker Charitable Foundation to support the hospital’s expansion and establish an endowment.

The largest gift the hospital has ever received and the largest the foundation has made includes $12.5 million for an addition to the Springdale hospital and $12.5 million for an endowment benefiting the Arkansas Children’s Northwest (ACNW) campus, which will be named the Pat Walker Campus. The expansion’s primary focus areas are orthopedics, urology, gastroenterology, and ear, nose and throat. The four-story addition will connect to the current floors of the hospital, and the project will add inpatient beds, operating rooms, a new endoscopy suite, and additional outpatient clinic space in the adjacent Children’s Center for Health & Wellness.

“Pat Walker…wanted the very best for our children,” said Arkansas Children’s executive vice president and chief development officer Fred Scarborough. “This generous gift from the Willard & Pat Walker Charitable Foundation will put children’s best interests at the forefront through transformational changes that improve access to care as we continue to deliver a premium experience to patients and families.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/HRAUN)