Arkansas Children's announces a $50 million gift from philanthropist, entrepreneur, and child health advocate B. Thomas Golisano. This investment is the largest philanthropic gift in Arkansas Children's history and supports key strategic priorities for the health system, including its $371 million expansion. The 10-year systemwide growth plan includes program development, workforce recruitment, and facility upgrades designed to meet the escalating child health needs of the next generation.
Golisano, pictured left, is the founder of Paychex, Inc., a human resource company for small to medium-sized businesses. The Golisano Foundation is one of the largest private foundations in the United States devoted to supporting programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, animal welfare, and child health. He has contributed more than $1 billion to advance education and healthcare across the country and was ranked No. 8 on The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s 2024 Philanthropy 50 — a list of America’s 50 biggest donors.
In honor of his investment, the Arkansas Children’s Little Rock campus will be named the Arkansas Children’s Golisano Campus.
“Children’s hospitals are essential to the health and future of our communities, and each one serves families with unique needs and challenges,” said Tom Golisano. “Arkansas Children’s has demonstrated a deep commitment to advancing pediatric care, expanding access and investing in innovation. I’m proud to support their work and to welcome them into the Golisano Children’s Alliance as we continue building a collaborative network focused on improving outcomes for children nationwide.”
With this investment, Arkansas Children’s joins the Golisano Children’s Alliance — a growing collaborative of 12 children’s hospitals.
“The need for services continues to change and grow — and we are committed to providing the best care, research and outcomes for the patients we serve,” said Marcy Doderer, FACHE, president and chief executive officer of Arkansas Children’s. “Mr. Golisano’s extraordinary generosity is an investment in Arkansas Children’s, ensuring access to the best answers medicine can offer. This gift elevates our work as a pediatric health center of excellence, expanding care close to home for the children of America’s heartland.”
In addition to Golisano’s transformative gift, the health system’s expansion is powered by organizational investment alongside recent contributions from partners across Arkansas.
Recently, Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin committed $55 million of opioid and vaping settlement funds to Arkansas Children’s to pioneer an ambitious research effort dedicated to opioids’ impact on children by establishing the National Center for Opioid Research & Clinical Effectiveness (NCOR). The center is currently under construction on the Little Rock campus and is scheduled to be completed in early 2027.
In 2023, the Willard & Pat Walker Charitable Foundation, Inc., made a $25 million investment to transform child health in northwest Arkansas. In recognition of the Walker Foundation’s gift, the Arkansas Children’s Northwest (ACNW) Springdale campus is named the Pat Walker Campus.