Stafford Family Gives $100,000 to Arkansas Children’s Northwest

(Green Forest, AR) February 9 – Steve and Sharon Stafford of Green Forest, along with their family, commit $100,000 to support the construction of Arkansas Children’s Northwest.

Steve and Sharon’s grandson, Stafford Waller, spent three weeks in the NICU at Arkansas Children’s Hospital after being delivered at 32 weeks. Today, 10-year-old Stafford is thriving and will continue the care he needs close to home at Arkansas Children’s Northwest.

“It’s not easy for any parent or grandparent to have a child in the hospital, especially when it involves a 3-hour drive,” said Steve Stafford. “We want to honor our grandson and help ensure every child in the area has access to life-saving pediatric care in their own backyard.”

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 5 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.

“Families like the Staffords know the unique value of a children’s hospital firsthand,” said Fred Scarborough, chief development officer for Arkansas Children’s and president of Arkansas Children’s Foundation. “We are honored to serve as their healthcare partner and extremely grateful for their friendship and generosity, which will help guarantee the children of Northwest Arkansas benefit from expanded, specialized pediatric care.”

To honor the Stafford family’s gift and celebrate their investment, a play area on the third level of Arkansas Children’s Northwest will carry the Stafford family and Anstaff Bank name. Last month, Arkansas Children’s announced a $250,000 gift from Anstaff Bank where Steve Stafford serves as Chairman and CEO.  

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, Texas. Nabholz Construction is overseeing construction. The campus is an integral part of Arkansas Children’s Hospital’s plan to transform the health of children in Arkansas by expanding access to pediatric services across the region.