Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Representative French Hill and Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr. gathered on June 9 for the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the new CARTI Surgery Center on its Little Rock campus.
The new 57,000 sq. ft. facility, designed by Cromwell Architects Engineers and built by Kinco Constructors, is home to six operating rooms, two of which have da Vinci Surgical Systems, advanced medical robots that allow for minimally invasive surgery, improving safety and reducing recovery time.
“We often say that we’re cancer-focused and patient-centered,” CARTI Chief Medical Officer Dr. Scott Stern, M.D., said, “but I think more important is the fact that we are patient-driven. From leading-edge treatment to patient support services, we constantly ask ourselves, how can we make life better for our patients and our families? So every detail of the building you see behind you, from the natural lighting in our operating rooms to our calming recovery spaces and the inspiration garden, was designed and built with their comfort and healing in mind.”
Gov. Sanders recounted two encounters with cancer very near to her; her mother was one of CARTI’s first patients after it transitioned from Radiology Associates of Arkansas and received one of the first groups of people in Arkansas to receive an MRI scan. Her mother made a full recovery, and when Gov. Sanders herself was diagnosed with thyroid cancer last year, it was CARTI surgeons who helped her to become cancer free.
“I am eternally grateful for the unbelievable work that takes place at the hands of CARTI, the dedication of the nurses, the doctors, the administrative staff that lead,” Gov. Sanders said, “and I know firsthand what it will mean for people all across our state. This is a beacon of hope for so many people, so many families, and I am honored that I get to be there today and celebrate what this will mean for the state of Arkansas.”
“Imagine being given the devastating diagnosis of cancer,” said Yara Robertson, M.D., medical director of surgery at CARTI and kidney cancer survivor. “The journey can be absolutely overwhelming for a patient. My patients may travel over two hours, and whether they need a simple removal of their cancer, a double mastectomy or reconstruction, they can face multiple steps, multiple visits and often must go to multiple locations for these procedures to be done. It is a draining process for a patient. Now, with the CARTI surgery center, we hope to ease that burden. Our patients can now remain in a setting they are familiar with and comfortable in.”
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