Katie and Miles Stephens Donate $1.5 Million Supporting Arkansas Children’s Hospital Historic Expansion

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (February 12, 2026) - Arkansas Children’s is continuing the momentum behind its historic $371 million expansion project with a $1.5 million gift from Katie and Miles Stephens, an investment to help transform pediatric care for children and families across Arkansas and the region.

The Stephens family have been long-time supporters of Arkansas Children’s. Katie Stephens is a lifetime member of the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Auxiliary and has been a member of the Arkansas Children’s Foundation board since 2024. The Stephens family are passionate about supporting the expansion project after learning more about its scope and the long-term, positive impact it will have on pediatric health care.

“We believe so deeply in what Arkansas Children’s is doing and the people leading this work,” Katie said. “This project will make a real difference for families and we are grateful for the opportunity to be a part of it. We hope our gift encourages others to join in supporting something so meaningful for our state.”

The expansion project, the largest in the organization’s history, is designed to improve access to health care, elevate patient experience and strengthen the state’s nationally ranked pediatric health system. Support from community leaders such as the Stephens family serves to highlight the importance of the project and its impact on children in the region.

“Katie and Miles’ commitment to Arkansas Children’s sends a powerful message about the importance of expanding pediatric care across the state and the region,” said Marcy Doderer, FACHE, president and CEO of Arkansas Children’s. “Their belief in our mission and vision for the future will help shape better outcomes for children for decades to come.”

Fred Scarborough, EVP/Chief Development Officer for Arkansas Children’s said, “Katie and Miles are a fine example of young families who are stepping forward during this historic expansion. We are grateful for Katie’s leadership and for their family’s commitment to creating a better today and a healthier tomorrow for the children of America’s heartland.”

From its founding as an orphanage in 1912 to a nationally acclaimed pediatric health care system, Arkansas Children's has remained steadfast in its mission to champion children by making them better today and healthier tomorrow.

To learn more about the expansion project, visit archildrens.org/expansion. To support Arkansas Children's growth, visit archildrens.org/donate or call 800-880-7491 today.

ABOUT ARKANSAS CHILDREN’S

Arkansas Children's is the only health system in the state solely dedicated to caring for Arkansas' 850,000 children. The private, non-profit organization includes the Arkansas Children’s Golisano Campus in Little Rock, home to Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH), and the Arkansas Children’s Pat Walker Campus in Springdale, home to Arkansas Children’s Northwest (ACNW). The two pediatric hospitals host 361 licensed beds, supported by a pediatric research institute and USDA nutrition center, a philanthropic foundation, a nursery alliance, statewide clinics and many education and outreach programs — all focused on fulfilling a promise to define, discover and deliver unprecedented child health. ACH is a Magnet-recognized facility operating the state’s only Level I pediatric trauma center; the state's only burn center; the state's only Level IV neonatal intensive care unit; the state's only pediatric intensive care unit; the state’s only pediatric surgery program with Level 1 verification from the American College of Surgeons (ACS); and the state's only nationally recognized pediatric transport program. Arkansas Children’s is nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report in seven pediatric subspecialties (2025-2026): Cancer, Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Nephrology, Neurology & Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Pulmonology & Lung Surgery and Urology. ACNW, the first and only pediatric hospital in the northwest Arkansas region, is a Level IV pediatric trauma center. ACNW operates an inpatient unit that will expand in 2026; a surgical unit with five operating rooms; outpatient clinics offering over 20 subspecialties; diagnostic services; imaging capabilities; occupational therapy services; and northwest Arkansas' only pediatric emergency department. Generous philanthropic and volunteer engagement has sustained Arkansas Children's since it began as an orphanage in 1912, and today ensures the system can deliver on its promise of unprecedented child health. To learn more, visit archildrens.org.


# # #