A nonprofit organization founded by Walmart heir Alice Walton is planning to build a new integrative medical school in northwest Arkansas.
The Whole Health Institute plans to break ground on the Whole Health School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Bentonville, Arkansas, in 2022, officials said in a statement. They plan to matriculate the first class of students at the school in 2024.
The school is seeking accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education.
The curriculum will include traditional and conventional medicine and integrative techniques, officials said in a statement. The program is allopathic, which means graduates will receive an M.D. degree. Health Sciences degrees and certificates will also be offered and may include functional nutrition, mental health, social work, and health coaching and faculty development in "Whole Health approaches."
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"The Whole Health School of Medicine will help medical students rise to the health challenges of the 21st century through a reimagination of American medical education that incorporates mental, emotional, physical and spiritual health, the elements of Whole Health, to help people live healthier and happier lives," Alice Walton said in a statement.
Those involved in the project include Founding Dean Elly Xenakis, M.D., who is formerly the division chief of the maternal-fetal medicine division, and residency program director in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.
Colleen O'Connor, who is formerly the associate dean of curricular Affairs at the Duke University School of Medicine has been named executive vice dean. Adam Rindfleisch, M.D., who is formerly an associate professor in the department of family medicine and the medical director in integrative health at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health was named vice dean for education.
Officials said they intend to collaborate with the local healthcare community and seek clinical affiliations with inpatient and outpatient providers. For example, discussions are underway for collaborations with members of the Northwest Arkansas Council Healthcare Transformation Division which includes Arkansas Children's Northwest, Community Clinic, Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas, Northwest Medical Center, Washington Regional Medical Center, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Northwest, Northwest Arkansas Regional Campus of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, and Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks.
In 2019, the council released a report (PDF) which estimated the region lost nearly $1 billion per year because people traveled elsewhere for high-level specialty care and, in response, the council planned to add 200 additional residency positions and establish a four-year medical school, officials said.
"Alice Walton's vision begins here in Arkansas with the School of Medicine as an integral part of the growing and vibrant Northwest Arkansas community effort to become a premier healthcare destination," said Nelson Peacock, president and CEO of the Northwest Arkansas Council, in a statement.