Yesterday, the Northwest Arkansas community gathered to celebrate the ribbon-cutting of the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine on the Crystal Bridges campus in Bentonville. Ozarks at Large’s Jack Travis attended the event and brings us this report.
“Good morning, everyone. I'm Dr. Yogi Hernandez Suarez. I serve as the executive vice dean of Alice L. Walton School of Medicine, and it is my great honor to welcome all of you to our grand opening. Today is more than a ribbon cutting. It is a celebration of vision, of purpose and of people, those who dared to imagine a new kind of medical education and those who are now prepared to bring it to life.”
On a rainy Wednesday morning, dozens flocked to a new building neighboring Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. The Alice L. Walton School of Medicine, or AWSOM, is officially open. However, school has been in session for months already.
“When AWSOM opened its doors to students on July 14 — previously known as Bastille Day and now known as Healthcare Revolution Day — we welcomed 48 remarkable individuals, our inaugural class. They represent 19 states. They speak 13 languages, and they bring with them a shared, ferocious commitment to serve. One-third of them are from Arkansas. Nearly one in five are first-generation college students. They are the future of the practice of medicine in this country — the practice that we are shaping within these walls.”
Current students, faculty, and staff, along with architects, board members, community leaders and the founder herself, Alice Walton, were all in attendance.
Upon arriving at the new school, visitors were met with a striking design. The building was created by the Little Rock architecture firm Polk Stanley Wilcox, led by principal Wesley Walls. He said from the beginning they wanted to create a physical form to embody the intersection of art, nature and health.
“Our team envisioned a building deeply inspired by the Ozark landscape — its limestone bluffs, forested trails and natural shelters — a building that wouldn’t just sit on the land but arise out of it, a building that belongs here. The resulting form is an abstraction of Ozark geology. The building’s cantilevered structure is a reflection of the natural bluff shelters of our region. And just as they served people thousands of years ago, this modern-day shelter invites the community into a space of healing and learning. It reflects the school’s mission to care for the whole person.”
Natural inspiration didn’t end within the school. Arkansas’ largest green roof sits atop AWSOM. The space above the building is essentially a park, complete with benches and water features. Polk Stanley Wilcox designed the record-breaking canopy in collaboration with landscape architects from OSD — Office of Strategy + Design — and installed it with the help of Ozark Green Roofs.
“The building’s growth out of the landscape creates a seamless connection to the Crystal Bridges trails, allowing visitors to walk from the forest onto the roof. This rooftop park represents a commitment to biophilic design, connecting students and faculty to nature. Balance with nature is integrated throughout the building’s design. The green roof not only helps reduce energy usage, but it combats heat. The facility’s shade strategy uses solid and perforated brass panels that minimize solar heat gain and maximize daylight. Every detail was considered to support sustainability and comfort.”
AWSOM helps cement Alice Walton’s legacy in healthcare, not only in Arkansas but around the world. Founding dean and CEO Dr. Sharmila Makhija spoke on Walton’s commitment to holistic health both inside and outside the realm of medicine.
“In 2011, she founded Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, expanding access to art for all. Building on that success, she launched the Art Bridges Foundation in 2017, helping bring American art to communities across the nation. Her passion for the arts strengthened her enthusiasm for wellness and inspired her to explore how art, nature and the space around us shape our well-being. This inspiration led to the creation of the Heartland Whole Health Institute in 2019, which aims to transform healthcare by focusing on whole-person care. And in 2021, she founded our school with the same bold ambition to create a lasting impact by expanding access to whole health and transforming how we train the next generation of physicians.”
Walton herself said that the new school will explore the intersection between art and healthcare.
“Because I think they need each other. So having a med school here on the Crystal Bridges campus was one of the goals, as well as locating the Whole Health Institute here. When we founded this school, it was based on a vision for a new kind of med school — one that would transform the next generation of physicians based on what communities need now. Not just disease care, but whole-person care, prioritizing keeping people healthy, not just seeing them when they're sick. I envisioned having it on this campus, where students, staff and faculty would be surrounded by art, nature and amazing architecture.”
Beginning Nov. 3, AWSOM will open its spaces to the public, including the lobby and art gallery on the first floor and the café located on the second floor. Outdoor public spaces include the serene pond and healing garden, as well as a two-acre rooftop park.
The public spaces will be open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit alwmedschool.org.
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