Alice Walton’s Vision Takes Shape: Bentonville’s AWSOM Whole Health Campus Breaks Ground

4 min read

Alice Walton has officially broken ground on a transformative 120‑acre health campus in Bentonville, signaling a bold reimagining of health care across the Heartland.

A photorealistic, horizontal landscape header image of the AWSOM Whole Health Campus under construction in Bentonville, Arkansas: a sweeping view of modern hospital and specialty care buildings nestled among trees and trails, with construction activity in progress, nature‑inspired architecture blending glass, stone, and wood, under a clear sky — showcasing the future health‑care destination in the Heartland.

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Groundbreaking Marks a Defining Milestone

On September 17, 2026, Alice Walton, alongside leaders from Mercy and the Alice L. Walton Foundation, broke ground on the AWSOM Whole Health Campus in Bentonville, Arkansas—a 120‑plus‑acre health campus two miles east of downtown . The event capped off a seven‑year vision to create a regional health destination combining specialty care, education, and wellness .

Ambitious Scale and Infrastructure

The campus’s first building, the Center for Advanced Specialty Care, spans 709,000 square feet and is slated to open in 2029 . Plans include a world‑class cancer center exceeding 1.1 million square feet, plus a hospital with over 250 beds and 40 operating rooms across an additional 1 million square feet—totaling nearly 3 million square feet dedicated to specialty care .