Schmieding Foundation, Inc. Contributes $500,000 toward Expansion of Arkansas Children’s Northwest

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (August 27, 2025) - The Schmieding Foundation, Inc. has generously donated $500,000 toward the historic expansion project at Arkansas Children’s Northwest (ACNW), reinforcing their long-standing commitment to advance pediatric care in northwest Arkansas. In recognition of the Schmieding Foundation’s generosity, the pharmacy at ACNW will be named in honor of this gift.

“Lawrence Schmieding was focused on supporting the needs of children and seniors,” said Lance Taylor, president of the Schmieding Foundation. “We are honored to steward his legacy with our continued support of ACNW, helping to ensure more children have access to life-saving care close to home. By supporting this expansion project, we are investing in a future where ACNW continues to grow and meet the needs of families across our region, and we are grateful to play a role in advancing pediatric health care for generations to come.”

The Schmieding Foundation was a visionary, founding donor of ACNW and has supported Arkansas Children’s for decades, starting with a bold $1 million gift to Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) in 1994 to support developmental pediatric programs. The Foundation also supports Arkansas Children’s with two endowments, the Lawrence H. Schmieding Endowed Chair in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and the ACNW Quick Action Endowment. Endowed funds are permanently invested funds and the earnings create a source of income every year in perpetuity. Through the establishment of these funds, the Schmieding Foundation is advancing pediatric cancer treatment and generating annual funds for the ACNW chief administrator to spend on emerging needs.

“The Schmieding Foundation’s unwavering commitment to championing a healthier future for children has created a legacy of lasting impact,” said Enid Olvey, president of Arkansas Children’s Foundation. “We are deeply grateful for this generous $500,000 gift, which will help expand vital services, increase access and deliver exceptional, child-focused care that is right-sized for the northwest Arkansas community and region.”

In fiscal year 2025 (July 1, 2024-June 30, 2025), Arkansas Children’s served more than 196,000 children — more children than ever before — and the need for services continues to grow. The system’s $318 million expansion focuses on delivering better access, exceptional outcomes and improved on-campus experiences at the state’s nationally-ranked pediatric health system. The ACNW expansion, which broke ground in 2024, will create more surgical and clinical space as well as additional operating rooms, procedure rooms and hospital beds.

From its founding as an orphanage in 1912 to becoming a nationally acclaimed health care system, Arkansas Children’s has remained steadfast in its commitment to being a champion for children. To learn more about the expansion, visit archildrens.org/expansion. To support Arkansas Children's growth, visit archildrens.org/giving or call 800-880-7491 today.

ABOUT ARKANSAS CHILDREN’S

Arkansas Children's is the only health care system in the state solely dedicated to caring for Arkansas' 850,000 children. The private, non-profit organization includes two pediatric hospitals with 361 licensed beds, a pediatric research institute and USDA nutrition center, a philanthropic foundation, a nursery alliance, statewide clinics, and many education and outreach programs — all focused on fulfilling a promise to define and deliver unprecedented child health. Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) is a Magnet-recognized facility in Little Rock operating the state’s only Level I pediatric trauma center; the state's only burn center; the state's only Level IV neonatal intensive care unit; the state's only pediatric intensive care unit; the state’s only pediatric surgery program with Level 1 verification from the American College of Surgeons (ACS); and the state's only nationally recognized pediatric transport program. Arkansas Children’s is nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report in seven pediatric subspecialties (2024-2025): Cancer, Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Neonatal Care, Nephrology, Neurology & Neurosurgery, Orthopedics and Pulmonology & Lung Surgery. Arkansas Children’s Northwest (ACNW), the first and only pediatric hospital in the northwest Arkansas region, is a Level IV pediatric trauma center. ACNW operates an inpatient unit that will expand in 2026; a surgical unit with five operating rooms; outpatient clinics offering over 20 subspecialties; diagnostic services; imaging capabilities; occupational therapy services; and northwest Arkansas' only pediatric emergency department. Generous philanthropic and volunteer engagement has sustained Arkansas Children's since it began as an orphanage in 1912, and today ensures the system can deliver on its promise of unprecedented child health. To learn more, visit archildrens.org.