Arkansas Children’s lands $2.25 million grant from Windgate Foundation for nursing recruitment

Arkansas Children’s has received a $2.25 million, four-year commitment from the Windgate Foundation to help support the healthcare system’s nursing recruitment and retention efforts, the hospital announced Thursday (Feb. 10).

“Nurses play a vital role in health systems,” said Pat Forgy, executive director of the Windgate Foundation. “Now, more than ever, we feel it is important to support those taking care of children across the state at Arkansas Children’s.”

This most recent gift will help fund recruitment of nursing staff and provide career and educational opportunities to retain the system’s current nursing staff.

“Nurses are an integral part of every child’s care team and are at the core of our ability to provide safe, compassionate, research-informed clinical care,” said Arkansas Children’s President and CEO Marcy Doderer, FACHE. “This incredible investment will allow us to champion more children in more ways across the state of Arkansas in a safer environment.”

For nearly a decade, the U.S. has faced a nursing crisis due to healthcare reform, retirement, burnout and a growing population of older adults who require care.

Across the country, hospitals are experiencing a shortage of nurses. The COVID-19 pandemic, coupled with the high RSV season only exacerbated the situation, the hospital said. In children’s hospitals, these shortages are proven to lead to higher child mortality rates, higher hospital readmission rates and increased infection rates, along with other safety concerns.

The Windgate Foundation has supported Arkansas Children’s philanthropically in the past. It has established an endowment to support child life and education, established an endowment to support pediatric dentistry and made gifts to support the David M. Clark Center for Safe and Healthy Children and the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Pine Bluff Clinic.