By HFT Staff

The Alice L. Walton Foundation and Washington Regional Medical System announced their intention to create a regional health system. The announcement follows the news last year of a joint initiative through the foundation and Cleveland Clinic to identify ways to provide access to Cleveland Clinic’s specialty care services in Northwest Arkansas. Through these two initiatives, the foundation and Washington Regional Medical System intend to work with Cleveland Clinic to support the growth of healthcare services in the region. 

This new partnership will: 

• increase access to specialty care services that will make it possible for patients and families to receive innovative care closer to home 
• expand clinical services to reflect the growth of the Northwest Arkansas region 
• build a regional health system that focuses on delivering high-quality, whole-person services across the continuum of care 
• strengthen the transformation to value-based care in the region to ensure care for the community. 
• develop a partnership with the Whole Health School of Medicine to establish a regional academic health system in Northwest Arkansas. 
• bolster research capabilities of the Washington Regional Medical System. 

The Alice L. Walton Foundation and Washington Regional Medical System will begin to develop operational plans for this new partnership with the intent to finalize next steps during later this year. 

The initiative between the foundation and Cleveland Clinic focuses on providing patients in Northwest Arkansas greater specialty care access, which might include cardiac care, digestive health, neurosciences, oncology, orthopedics/spine and behavioral health.