Arkansas Children’s, Jefferson Regional add pediatric clinic; $250 million health campaign publicly revealed

Arkansas Children’s in association with Jefferson Regional made an announcement Thursday (Sept. 19) to advance pediatric care in Jefferson County and South Arkansas. The two health systems will establish a new pediatric clinic on the campus of Jefferson Regional in Pine Bluff.

The new clinic requires a $17.5 million investment to cover the construction and operation over its first five years, officials said. Already, $6 million has been secured for the effort.

Arkansas Children’s also announced the public phase of the “Campaign for a Healthier Tomorrow,” a $250 million campaign designed to support the promise of unprecedented health for children in Arkansas. The expansion of services through the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Pine Bluff Clinic is the first announcement in a week-long series to publicly launch the Campaign for a Healthier Tomorrow.

The pediatric clinic in Pine Bluff will provide care for families in Southeast Arkansas, including preventative care, developmental screenings, community resources and health education.

“In association with Jefferson Regional and the Pine Bluff medical community, Arkansas Children’s is excited to establish a new clinic and expand care for families in the Southeast Arkansas Region,” said Marcy Doderer, FACHE, president and CEO of Arkansas Children’s. “Our collaboration with Jefferson Regional through the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Nursery Alliance, along with this new pediatric clinic, helps us deliver on our promise to provide unprecedented child health for children in our state. Arkansas Children’s Hospital Pine Bluff Clinic will provide families with the ability to manage wellness checkups, reduce emergency care costs and receive care close to home.”

Early planning estimates that the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Pine Bluff Clinic will be an approximately 9,700 square-foot facility with 15 outpatient exam rooms staffed by pediatric providers. The physicians will also provide frontline care to newborns delivered at Jefferson Regional.

“Jefferson Regional provides vital healthcare to the southeast region of Arkansas,” said Brian Thomas, president and CEO of Jefferson Regional. “This collaboration with Arkansas Children’s will assist us with ensuring long-term stability with pediatricians to continue providing the children of this region with excellent care.”

Capital and operational gifts include a $3 million gift from the estate of Merle and Deloris Peterson of Dumas. The Peterson Trust named Arkansas Children’s as a beneficiary of the estate, providing support for the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Pine Bluff Clinic. Merle and Deloris were longtime supporters of Arkansas Children’s and members of the Ruth Olive Beall Society, a group of supporters who have designated Arkansas Children’s in their estate.

Additionally, an anonymous donor from outside the state gave a $1 million gift to support the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Pine Bluff Clinic.

More than a dozen statewide supporters have collectively given more than $2 million including statewide volunteer group Circle of Friends, the Kline Family Foundation, and Arkansas Children’s Foundation board members and Pine Bluff natives Jason LaFrance and his wife Cassie, Charlie Whiteside and his wife Cappy, and Jennifer Buckner Schueck.

Charlie Whiteside and his wife Cappy will also serve as the 2019 chairs for the Campaign for a Healthier Tomorrow.