Jech Family Gives $250,000 to Arkansas Children’s Northwest

(Springdale) July 17, 2017 – Vicki and Gary Jech of Springdale and their family recently committed a $250,000 gift to Arkansas Children’s Northwest. This family gift honors the Jech’s eight grandchildren and the care their first granddaughter, Peyton Keeling, received at Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Peyton underwent two heart surgeries at Arkansas Children’s Hospital before the age of five. Throughout the years, Peyton has also received care from the Autism Multispecialty Clinic at ACH.

“Making this contribution to Arkansas Children’s Northwest is something we care deeply about,” says Gary Jech, president of Farris Insurance Agency in Springdale. “Because of the life-saving care Peyton received at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, our family is proud to help provide care close to home for so many other families in the region.”

In recognition of this generous gift, a waiting area will bear the Jech family name. This waiting area will be used when patients need a range of diagnostic testing, including EEG, EKG and echocardiogram services.

“We are grateful to the Jech family’s commitment to making Arkansas a healthier place for children to live, learn and play,” says Fred Scarborough, chief development officer for Arkansas Children’s and president of Arkansas Children’s Foundation. “Thanks to their generosity, Arkansas Children’s will continue to champion children and transform the way healthcare is delivered to children around the state.”

 When it opens in January 2018, Arkansas Children’s Northwest will be the region’s first and only comprehensive pediatric healthcare center and will include:

• 24 inpatient beds to care for children requiring overnight stays
• 24-hour pediatric emergency department
• Pediatric surgery unit with five operating rooms
• An outpatient clinic with 30 exam rooms supporting more than 20 subspecialty areas, and a general pediatric clinic
• A full range of ancillary and diagnostic services, child-life and pastoral care
• Outdoor gardens, nature trails and interactive features designed for children
• A helipad and refueling station supporting Angel One, one of the nation’s leading pediatric intensive care transport services, with more than 2,000 transports annually

Arkansas Children’s Northwest is being built on 37 acres of land donated by Robin and Gary George, Cathy and David Evans and their families—a gift valued at $7.5 million. The campus is centrally located on I-49 between Don Tyson Parkway and Highway 412, across from Arvest Ballpark. The project is expected to cost $427.7 million in construction, technology, equipment and operating expenses over the next five years, and will create 250 new jobs. 

Arkansas Children’s Northwest is being designed by Polk Stanley Wilcox Architects of Fayetteville and Little Rock, Ark., and FKP Architects of Houston, Tex. Nabholz Construction is overseeing construction. The campus is an integral part of Arkansas Children’s plan to transform the health of children in Arkansas by expanding access to pediatric services across the region.