Mercy Northwest Arkansas makes a meaningful advance forward with its mission to increase access to health care thanks to a $5 million gift from the Walmart Foundation to Mercy Health Foundation Northwest Arkansas. With the donation, Mercy intends to expand upon its growth plans, improving the reach of quality health care within the region.
“The Walmart Foundation’s generous gift to Mercy Health Foundation NWA is a significant step toward Mercy’s goal to enhance health care in Northwest Arkansas,” said Ryan Gehrig, president of Mercy Arkansas. “With this support, Mercy can offer new procedures and treatments that were previously out of reach. Eliminating the necessity for our patients to travel far away from their loved ones in times of need is central to our expansion, and we’re grateful to Walmart Foundation for its support to make health care better in our community.”
The Walmart Foundation's gift enables Mercy NWA to purchase the latest medical technology, attract top-tier physicians and offer new services for those in the region.
One immediate impact of the gift is the construction of a new interventional radiology suite, which will feature the most up-to-date medical equipment, including a robot-controlled system that uses imaging techniques to show blood flow and guide minimally invasive treatments for various conditions. This new interventional radiology suite allows Mercy NWA to provide advanced treatments for which patients were previously forced to travel outside the region. According to the Northwest Arkansas Council’s 2019 Health Care Report, our community loses approximately $950 million annually when patients leave for medical services and specialty care. This investment by the Walmart Foundation advances Mercy’s effort to reversing this trend, while meeting the needs of patients.
"The new interventional radiology suite will significantly enhance our ability to deliver advanced care right here in Northwest Arkansas," said Dr. Jared Garrett, interventional radiologist at Mercy NWA. "Our team is excited about the new technology, which will help us to better serve our patients with less invasive procedures and improved outcomes."
The rest of the Walmart Foundation’s gift will go to other Mercy NWA expansion plan projects, to be announced in the near future, all of which will help meet the growing health care needs of the booming population in Northwest Arkansas.
"We share a vision with Mercy Northwest Arkansas to help people live better lives. We are excited that this funding will help provide quality care by investing in medical professionals, specialty services and state-of-the art technology." said Kathleen McLaughlin, president, Walmart Foundation and executive vice president and chief sustainability officer, Walmart, Inc. "Investing in Mercy’s growth is an investment in the wellbeing for our families and neighbors in the growing Northwest Arkansas region."
Clark Ellison, vice president of Mercy Health Foundation Northwest Arkansas, highlighted the importance of community support. "The Walmart Foundation's support shows the power of working with community organizations for lasting change," Ellison said. "Together, we will strengthen access to quality health care, ensuring all families in Northwest Arkansas get the care they need."
Walmart.org represents the philanthropic efforts of Walmart and the Walmart Foundation. By focusing where the business has unique strengths, Walmart.org works to tackle key social and environmental issues and collaborate with others to spark long-lasting systemic change. Walmart has stores in 19 countries, employs more than 2 million associates and does business with thousands of suppliers who, in turn, employ millions of people. Walmart.org is helping people live better by supporting programs to accelerate upward job mobility for frontline workers, advance equity, address hunger, build inclusive economic opportunity for people in supply chains, protect and restore nature, reduce waste and emissions and build strong communities where Walmart operates. To learn more, visit walmart.org.
