The Architects of Tomorrow's Care: Part One

Arkansas Children's Hospital (ACH) in Little Rock is known for its world-class pediatric surgery, and outpatients will now receive that level of expertise without ever having to step foot in the hospital.   

ACH will open Champions Pavilion, a 157,916-square-foot outpatient care facility south of 10th Street, at the end of 2026. It will have its own entrance and parking for outpatient surgeries and procedures, research and rehabilitation. The facility will focus on ear, nose and throat (ENT), vascular anomalies, gastroenterology, urology, orthopedics, sports medicine and general surgery. This evolution allows Arkansas Children's, a surgical leader in the state which specializes in newborn, child and adolescent surgeries, to see more pediatric patients, increase inpatient and outpatient surgeries and hire more team members, creating a more robust experience for children and families. Our top medical architects are working to shape tomorrow's care for children in state and regionally.   

In part one of this series, we highlight how medical architects Gresham Richter, M.D., ear, nose and throat (ENT) and vascular anomalies, and Brant Sachleben, M.D., orthopedics and sports medicine, will shape the new facility.  

 

What makes pediatric outpatient surgery different?  

Children and adolescents are the center of Arkansas Children's culture and care, which means extra medical training and understanding the emotional needs of pediatric patients who come in for outpatient surgery. In 2024, ACH surgeons performed 11,438 outpatient surgeries and 16,917 outpatient surgeries across the health system.  

The skills, approach and medical training required to put a child under general anesthesia are different than those of an adult. At Arkansas Children's, pediatric anesthesiologists are fellowship-trained, which means:    

• A completed anesthesia residency   
• Certified in anesthesiology and pediatric anesthesiology by the American Board of Anesthesiology   

The anesthesia team prioritizes safety, from children to adult patients. This means working closely with a patient's medical care team before a child has surgery to create a complete care plan for their individual and sometimes complex needs. Pediatric radiologists detect specific abnormalities on scans only in children, making diagnoses easier.  

In Champions Pavilion, the post anesthesia care unit (PACU) will allow parents or caregivers to be with their child as they go under and wake up from anesthesia. During an outpatient surgical procedure in the Champions Pavilion, parents or caregivers will wait in a private consult room while their child is in surgery rather than the main waiting area, providing the best comfort for children and families.   

Dr. Richter, a world-renowned innovator in pediatric vascular anomalies and otolaryngology care, explained, "Children are not just small adults." There are physiological differences and mental health considerations.   

"Many other hospitals won't perform surgeries on patients under a certain age. They won't do surgeries on complex child conditions simply because they don't have the provider with the expertise to take care of the youngest patient population," Dr. Richter said. "Arkansas Children's is specifically designed to make children comfortable. You don't get that kind of catering and tenderness you would find at an adult outpatient care facility."   

Dr. Sachleben, the voice of pediatric orthopedics and sports medicine for Arkansas, said unlike an adult orthopedic facility, Arkansas Children's pediatric experts specialize in the care of growing patients. Arkansas Children's is the only health system in the state nationally ranked in orthopedics care by U.S. News & World Report.    

"There is a big difference between an 8-month-old and a 17-year-old, and our training allows us to meet the needs of the full range of childhood phases. Our laser focus of taking care of this segment of our population is really what separates Arkansas Children's," Dr. Sachleben said. "We treat pediatric patients differently; from a musculoskeletal standpoint, they have open growth plates, and they're still growing and require subtle differences in care. This expansion will give us more of the tools we need to provide that specialized treatment."  

Some of the top outpatient surgeries and procedures for ENT, vascular anomalies and orthopedics that will be enhanced by the new facility include:   

• ENT: Ear tube placement, tonsil and adenoid removal   
  • Notable outcome: More than 21,000 visits, operations and surgical procedures annually at ACH for ENT conditions 
• Vascular anomalies: hemangiomas, combined and complex malformations, vascular tumors and cancer   
  • Notable outcome: 674 outpatient surgeries (2023)   
• Orthopedics: ACL surgery and other sports medicine surgeries; all outpatient surgeries associated with extremities   
  • Notable outcome: 671 patients received pediatric orthopedic trauma surgery within 72 hours of admission (2023)    

Changing the game  

The three-story Champions Pavilion will include features like a state-of-the-art sports medicine facility, eight surgical suites (that can expand to 12) and 26 exam rooms.   

The facility will include:   

Level one: 

• Lobby, orthopedics and sports medicine  

Level two:

• Pediatric clinical research unit (PCRU) 

Level three:   

• Outpatient surgery, with an enclosed skywalk bridge to the main hospital   
• Eight surgical suites   
• Post anesthesia care unit (PACU)  
• Central sterile processing for medical equipment   
  
  

A key feature of the facility is a sports medicine facility to support student athletes. It will include turf, a track surface, a wooden basketball floor and an expanded gym.   

"Our pediatric sports medicine outcomes are equivalent to as other major sports medicine centers nationwide. This new facility allows us to expand that further," Dr. Sachleben said. 

Currently, the sports medicine team provides post-injury and post-surgery physical therapy, but Dr. Sachleben said that in the new center, they can also focus on pre-injury and pre-surgery therapies. For example, if an athlete has knee pain but is otherwise healthy, experts can identify "modifiable risk factors" that might help prevent a tear or injuries.   

"We're hoping to provide some of those programs that work to start decreasing those risks for major injury down the road or try to prevent injuries," Dr. Sachleben said. "There's nothing we can do to prevent all injuries, but if there's something we can do that can prevent one, two or three, then it's worth it."   

The expanded space also allows sports medicine to fill an existing gap for patient athletes who are past the need for physical therapy but not ready yet for the rigors of playing their sport.   

"In the new facility, they can do more high-level, supervised rehab and training. We can watch their motion and quality of movement, but in a controlled setting," Dr. Sachleben said. "I'm pretty excited about being able to provide that kind of bridge for these patients that are going from their early stages of rehab to full return to play."  

The updated space will also allow for new technology, like motion analysis tools that help analyze an athlete's movements, including post-surgery, to improve performance and prevent injuries.   

Shaping tomorrow's care  

Building a better future in health care requires an innovative facility and visionaries who are imagining what's next in outpatient care. Our medical leaders will transform the new Champions Pavilion into more than just a state-of-the-art space; thanks to their expertise, it will be a place where lives change. Two architects of tomorrow's care discussed their pride in working at Arkansas Children's and shared their hopes for the new facility.  

 

The World-Renowned Innovator 

Gresham Richter, M.D., FACS, FAAP, a pediatric otolaryngologist, chief of otolaryngology and surgical director of the Vascular Anomalies Center of Excellence at Arkansas Children's and professor and vice chair of pediatric otolaryngology at UAMS.   
In his 16 years at Arkansas Children's, Dr. Richter said he's most proud of the growth and retention of the pediatric ENT team. When he first arrived at ACH, he was one of three providers in ENT. Today, there are 15 team members. Another highlight of his tenure is how the Vascular Anomalies Center of Excellence performs more outpatient vascular anomaly surgeries than anywhere else in the country, thanks to advanced laser therapies and an efficient outpatient pace. They'll continue growing because of Champions Pavilion.  

"Champions Pavilion will accelerate our ability to take care of more children more efficiently and provide better access. I'm just so happy about that. Since I came here, I've been one of the biggest advocates for building an outpatient care facility. So, it's a real kudos to our Arkansas Children's board, to our leaders, from the CEO and the remaining cabinet down, to decide to open up what a lot of people in the community have been looking for from Arkansas Children's." - Dr. Richter 

 

The Voice for Pediatric Orthopedics

Brant Sachleben, M.D., a sports medicine and pediatric orthopedic surgeon, chief of orthopedics and co-director of sports medicine at Arkansas Children's and associate professor of orthopedic surgery at UAMS.   
Dr. Sachleben said a top accomplishment in his 11 years at Arkansas Children's is the team that orthopedics built and maintained. He explained that his pediatric experts are ahead of other providers by offering specialized, niche pediatric care, including foot, ankle, hand, tumor and sports medicine.   
"We have been limited from a space standpoint, so having Champions Pavilion will give us more real estate to care for more kids, and we can add more providers to continue growing our program. As medicine changes, we'll be able to add more and more technology. The facility gives us a way to move into the future." - Dr. Sachleben     

* This article was written by the Arkansas Children’s content team and medically reviewed by Gresham Richter, M.D., and Brant Sachleben, M.D.