Golisano’s $50M Gift Fuels Arkansas Children’s Health Transformation

LITTLE ROCK, AR – December 29, 2025 – Arkansas Children's today announced a historic $50 million gift from philanthropist and Paychex founder B. Thomas Golisano, the largest single donation in the health system's 113-year history. The landmark investment is set to accelerate a massive $371 million, 10-year expansion plan aimed at confronting the state's deepening pediatric health challenges.

In recognition of the transformative gift, the health system's Little Rock campus will be renamed the Arkansas Children's Golisano Campus. The donation also marks the hospital's entry into the Golisano Children's Alliance, a strategic collaborative of 12 pediatric hospitals across the nation.

"The need for services continues to change and grow — and we are committed to providing the best care, research and outcomes for the patients we serve," said Marcy Doderer, FACHE, president and chief executive officer of Arkansas Children's. "Mr. Golisano's extraordinary generosity is an investment in Arkansas Children's, ensuring access to the best answers medicine can offer. This gift elevates our work as a pediatric health center of excellence, expanding care close to home for the children of America's heartland."

A Pattern of Strategic Philanthropy

B. Thomas Golisano is a towering figure in American philanthropy, having contributed more than $1 billion to education and healthcare initiatives nationwide. His work earned him the No. 8 spot on The Chronicle of Philanthropy's 2024 Philanthropy 50 list. This latest gift is not an isolated act of generosity but part of a calculated, national strategy to bolster pediatric healthcare infrastructure.

Arkansas Children's joins a distinguished list of institutions supported by Golisano, including children's hospitals in New York, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Kentucky, many of which now bear his name. His philanthropic vision, channeled through the Golisano Foundation, focuses on creating systemic improvements for child health and for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

"Children's hospitals are essential to the health and future of our communities, and each one serves families with unique needs and challenges," Golisano stated. "Arkansas Children's has demonstrated a deep commitment to advancing pediatric care, expanding access and investing in innovation. I'm proud to support their work and to welcome them into the Golisano Children's Alliance as we continue building a collaborative network focused on improving outcomes for children nationwide."

Joining a National Collaborative to Address a Local Crisis

The donation's significance extends beyond the monetary value. By joining the Golisano Children's Alliance, Arkansas Children's gains a seat at a table of leading pediatric institutions. Launched in October 2025, the Alliance is designed to foster collaboration, share best practices, and collectively advocate for improved pediatric policies and research funding. This network allows member hospitals to remain independent while leveraging shared knowledge to tackle complex medical challenges, a crucial advantage for a state facing significant hurdles in child well-being.

The investment arrives at a critical juncture for Arkansas. The state consistently ranks among the worst in the nation for child health, placing an alarming 47th in the 2025 KIDS COUNT Data Book. From 2019 to 2022, the child and teen death rate surged by 26%, one of the steepest increases in the country. Furthermore, Arkansas recorded the nation's second-highest infant mortality rate in 2023, and approximately 94,000 children lost their public health insurance coverage in the same year, leaving a significant gap in access to care.

These stark realities underscore the urgency behind the health system's ambitious expansion. The funds will be deployed over the next decade to enhance program development, recruit specialized medical talent, and execute critical facility upgrades across the system, which serves all 850,000 children in Arkansas.

A Trifecta of Investment Signals a New Era

The Golisano gift is the latest in a series of monumental investments poised to redefine pediatric care in the region. It follows a recent commitment of $55 million in state opioid and vaping settlement funds, directed by Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin, to establish the National Center for Opioid Research & Clinical Effectiveness (NCOR) on the Little Rock campus. Slated for completion in early 2027, the center will pioneer research into the devastating impact of the opioid crisis on children.

In 2023, the Willard & Pat Walker Charitable Foundation made a $25 million investment to expand the Arkansas Children's Northwest hospital in Springdale, now named the Pat Walker Campus. That gift is funding an expansion of inpatient beds, operating rooms, and outpatient clinics to serve the rapidly growing population in that part of the state.

Together, these three initiatives represent a combined investment of over $130 million in philanthropic and public funds, layered on top of the health system's own $371 million commitment. This convergence of support signals a coordinated, multi-faceted strategy to build a pediatric powerhouse in America's heartland, capable of delivering highly specialized care, conducting groundbreaking research, and ultimately, changing the trajectory of child health in Arkansas.

"These landmark investments reflect an extraordinary belief in what Arkansas Children's is building for families across America's heartland," said Fred Scarborough, executive vice president and chief development officer for Arkansas Children's. "Every gift matters because philanthropy is the margin of excellence — ensuring we can continue to meet the growing needs of children today and well into the future."