The Alice L. Walton Foundation and Mercy marked a significant step forward Tuesday by breaking ground on the AWSOM Whole Health Campus, a 120-acre development in Bentonville focused on specialty care and whole-person health innovation. This campus represents a strategic investment in advanced medical services for Northwest Arkansas and the surrounding region.
The AWSOM campus is a product of a long-term partnership between the Alice L. Walton Foundation and Mercy, aimed at enhancing healthcare access and quality across multiple specialties. The new facility will offer a range of services including extensive cardiac care, cancer treatment, orthopedics, and gastroenterology. Cardiac care will be delivered in collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic, a prominent U.S. health system recognized nationally for cardiovascular expertise.
By centralizing these specialty services, the campus intends to serve as a multi-state destination for patients requiring complex treatments that previously obligated travel outside the region. The scope and scale of this project reflect efforts to retain healthcare spending in Northwest Arkansas and to improve health outcomes through integrated, whole-person approaches. Whole-person care focuses not only on treating illness but also on preventative measures and addressing social determinants of health.
Construction of the AWSOM campus is expected to provide job opportunities locally, both during the building phase and within the operational health services once completed. The partnership underscores Mercy’s ongoing commitment to expand specialty care in the region in response to population growth and rising healthcare needs.
The Alice L. Walton Foundation’s involvement aligns with its broader philanthropic goals to stimulate economic and social advancement within the region. This health campus represents an intersection of healthcare, innovation, and community investment in Bentonville, a city already anchored by major corporate headquarters and growing regional infrastructure.
This announcement follows recent developments in Bentonville’s healthcare landscape, including expansions in primary and emergency care facilities. With the AWSOM Whole Health Campus, local healthcare providers anticipate a more comprehensive continuum of care that strengthens patient retention and convenience, reducing the need for travel to metropolitan hubs for specialty services.
The collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic for cardiac services also positions the campus to leverage nationally recognized clinical protocols and research, potentially attracting more patients from Arkansas and neighboring states such as Oklahoma, Missouri, and Texas. This regional focus may boost local economies by increasing demand for ancillary services and related employment opportunities.
For Northwest Arkansas families, the AWSOM Whole Health Campus means access to state-of-the-art specialty care without the disruption caused by traveling long distances. It may also contribute to improved health outcomes through integrated care models emphasizing prevention and coordinated treatment plans across different specialties.
The groundbreaking event, held September 17, 2026, included representatives from Mercy, the Alice L. Walton Foundation, and local government officials. Construction timelines, specific service line openings, and employment estimates will be communicated as the project progresses, signaling an evolving healthcare infrastructure in Bentonville and the broader Northwest Arkansas region.
Source: Mercy NWA Newsroom
