Philanthropist and real estate investor Laurice A. Hachem of Rogers has donated $1 million to the expansion of Arkansas Children’s Northwest, the pediatric care system announced Tuesday.
Hachem is president of Hachem Investments Inc., a privately held real estate investment firm based in Tampa, Florida.
“For me, it’s an honor and a privilege to support the expansion of this area’s first and only children’s hospital,” Hachem said in a statement. “ACNW places children front and center in everything it does, and I want to help make sure it stays right-sized for the growing pediatric population of northwest Arkansas.”
Arkansas Children’s system-wide expansion will increase access to pediatric care, enhance exceptional outcomes for kids and elevate patient experience at Arkansas Children’s Northwest and Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock. The $318 million project, which began in early 2024, will add surgical space, operating rooms, procedure rooms, hospital beds and clinic space.
“Community partners and champions for children like Laurice and her daughter, Mechelle Meredith-Ehardt, are critical for Arkansas Children’s Northwest to deliver unprecedented child health,” Fred Scarborough, executive vice president and chief development officer at Arkansas Children’s, said in the release. “We are profoundly grateful for Laurice’s generosity, which will help expand access to care at Arkansas Children’s Northwest.”
Hachem has also donated to the U.S. Marshals Museum in Fort Smith. She gave $1 million to the project in 2019, when it was still in development.
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