Hunt Family Donates $1M to Arkansas Childrens

Northwest Arkansas

by Talk Business & Politics ([email protected]) September 26, 2016 3:00 pm 189 views 

Johnelle Hunt, chairman of Hunt Ventures and wife of the late trucking icon J.B. Hunt, addresses the audience Thursday at the Summit Luncheon held at Cross Church in Rogers.

The Hunt family has donated $1 million to the construction of the Northwest Arkansas branch of Arkansas Children’s Hospital, and the facility’s dining hall will be named in the family’s honor, the hospital announced on Monday.

The hospital has now raised $53 million in pledges for the construction of the Arkansas Children’s Northwest. It set a goal of $70 million for the project publicly on Aug. 5. 

Johnelle Hunt is chairman of Hunt Ventures, and she and late husband J.B. Hunt are the co-founders of Lowell-based trucking firm J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc.

“Every child deserves the opportunity to reach his or her full potential,” Hunt said, according to a press release. “Arkansas Children’s is a gift and will transform the care we are able to provide to the children of Springdale and the region.”

The planned 233,613-SF health care center is scheduled to open January 2018 and is estimated to cost $428 million over the next five years and create 250 jobs, according to the hospital.

“The Caring Community continues to step forward boldly in support of the construction of Arkansas Children’s Northwest,” Fred Scarborough, president of Arkansas Children’s Foundation, said, according to the press release. “The J.B. and Johnelle Hunt family are champions for children. We are grateful for the family’s continued support as we bring care close to home to more than 200,000 children in the region.” 

It will be the area’s first pediatric hospital, and according to the press release it will include:

  • 24 inpatient beds to care for children requiring overnight stays
  • 24-hour pediatric emergency department
  • Pediatric surgery unit with five 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.