The Schmieding Foundation Inc. will give $500,000 to the expansion project at Arkansas Children’s Northwest (ACNW) in Springdale, according to a Wednesday (Aug. 27) news release. The hospital’s pharmacy will be named in honor of this gift.
The ACNW expansion, which broke ground in 2024, will add more surgical and clinical space, operating rooms, procedure rooms and hospital beds. ACNW is one of two pediatric hospitals of Little Rock-based Arkansas Children’s. The expansion is part of the health care system’s $318 million project to improve access, outcomes and experiences.
“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 founding donor of ACNW and has supported Arkansas Children’s for decades, starting with a $1 million gift to Arkansas Children’s Hospital 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.
“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.”
Arkansas Children’s served a record of more than 196,000 children in fiscal 2025 (July 1, 2024-June 30, 2025).