Aiming to reduce health care costs and improve access to specialized care, a new partnership between Cleveland Clinic, the Alice L. Walton Foundation, Mercy, and Heartland Whole Health will bring cutting-edge cardiac care and more virtual health services to Northwest Arkansas.
The partnership is supported by a $700 million investment, with Mercy and the Alice L. Walton Foundation committing $350 million apiece to build new facilities and enhance existing health care services.
Mercy will focus on developing a cardiac care center of excellence on its Rogers campus, which will become a hub for advanced cardiovascular treatments. The Alice L. Walton Foundation will drive the creation of an outpatient specialty care center in Bentonville, offering a range of innovative services, including virtual care. It’s all part of ensuring that NWA residents receive world-class care close to home.
Cleveland Clinic, a global leader in cardiology, will lend its expertise to develop the new cardiac center, ensuring that the highest standards of care and innovation are implemented. The collaboration between Cleveland Clinic and Mercy is expected to bring hundreds of top physicians and specialists to the area, addressing the fast-growing region’s need for more health care professionals.
“We believe that everyone deserves quality whole health care closer to home,” says philanthropist Alice Walton, founder of Heartland Whole Health Institute and the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine. “This powerful collaboration with Mercy and Cleveland Clinic will change the health care landscape in the Heartland, bringing together organizations that are dedicated to increasing quality, reducing costs, and making accessible, value-based care a reality.”
The Northwest Arkansas Council’s health care assessment in 2019 pointed to several critical challenges the region faced, including an annual economic loss of $950 million as people living in the region sought specialized care elsewhere. The study also identified a shortage of medical specialists working in the region.
This new partnership addresses those two critical findings in the study by expanding cardiac care services and recruiting physicians to meet health care needs. With advanced cardiac centers and virtual care offerings, the initiative is poised to reduce out-migration for care and improve health outcomes.
“The Northwest Arkansas Council’s 2019 study revealed that residents often had to leave the region for specialty care, impacting families and the local economy,” said Nelson Peacock, president and CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Council. “Over the past five years, the region’s health care systems made significant strides in addressing these challenges. This new partnership will build on those efforts and transform health care in Northwest Arkansas.”
The Northwest Arkansas Council’s Transformation Division remains a driving force behind many health care advancements, including efforts to expand graduate medical education (GME) at Washington Regional Medical Center. This expansion has been critical in addressing the local shortage of health care professionals by establishing residency programs to advance training but that also encourage new doctors and to start their practices in the region. As a result, Northwest Arkansas is developing a stronger, more sustainable health care workforce.
Additionally, the division has collaborated with local health systems and organizations, contributing to ongoing investments in health care infrastructure such as Arkansas Children’s Hospital’s expansion and Highlands Oncology’s growth. Those efforts expanded the availability of specialized care, reducing patient out-migration and ensuring that more people can receive needed care close to home.
The efforts of the Northwest Arkansas Council’s Transformation Division, along with major investments such as the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine, are driving progress toward creating a world-class health care system that addresses the needs of the region’s growing population.
As these initiatives take shape, Northwest Arkansas is becoming a leading destination for specialized, accessible and value-based care, ensuring residents receive top-tier medical services. The establishment of the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine further strengthens this vision by training future physicians in innovative care models that prioritize whole-person health.
