$120 million in federal funding approved for new veterans hospital in Tulsa
Monday, December 28, 2020
First announced in February 2020 as part of the Fiscal Year 2021 President’s Budget
submitted to Congress, the $120 million federal appropriation to build a new veterans
hospital in Tulsa was approved by Congress on Dec. 21 and signed into law by President
Trump yesterday. The project, Veterans Hospital in Tulsa (VHiT), is the work of a collaboration among
the federal government, state of Oklahoma, city of Tulsa, private philanthropy, and
Oklahoma State University.
The new veterans hospital will be located in downtown Tulsa at 7th and Houston on
the expanded OSU Medical Center Campus. The effort will convert the existing Kerr-Edmondson
Buildings on the site into a modern 275,000 square-foot, 58-bed medical-surgical hospital
for veterans. The partially occupied Kerr-Edmondson Buildings have been owned by
the state of Oklahoma and are being transferred to OSU/A&M Regents by the state for
the purpose of the hospital project.
Dr. Kayse Shrum, president of the OSU Center for Health Sciences, said making sure
our veterans receive the very best care is the least that can be done to honor them
for their service.
"Our Veterans in northeast Oklahoma deserve a much-needed, easily accessible modern
medical center where they can receive quality, compassionate care in a timely manner.
For OSU-CHS, it’s been a great privilege to be part of this visionary project,” she
said. "While caring for veterans is a top priority, the affiliation with the Veteran
Affairs Hospital near our Tulsa campus will benefit our students and residents tremendously
and further enhance our medical school nationally. Many physicians in practice today
benefited from training at a Veteran Affairs hospital. After years of hard work and
relentless determination by many civic leaders in Tulsa and local, state, and federal
elected officials, we have achieved one of the most significant milestones, the funding
for this project. We look forward to the start of construction and the completion
of the project."
This is a unique opportunity to secure a large and important veteran resource, operated
by the VA, but developed by and for the local community. The proximity to OSU’s academic
healthcare facilities will support a number of opportunities for collaboration, joint
physician appointments, increased medical residencies, and shared services, all of
which will improve ease and efficiency for veterans.
Oklahoma’s United States Senators James Inhofe and James Lankford along with U.S.
Representatives Markwayne Mullin and Kevin Hern, each strongly supported the original
application for the new veterans hospital project and led the effort to prioritize
this project for Oklahoma’s veterans.
“This project is special to Oklahoma State University,” said Burns Hargis, president
of OSU. “We have great respect for the women and men who have served and are serving
our country in defense of liberty and the pursuit of peace. We enjoy a longstanding
relationship with the military, proudly graduating many students who become leaders
in our armed forces. The approval of the federal funding for this project represents
a significant achievement and step forward in reaching our shared goal to provide
our veterans in northeast Oklahoma with an exceptional medical facility to care for
them. We also appreciate the generosity of The Zarrow Family Foundations. Without
their unwavering support, this project would never have proceeded. Lastly, I recognize
the leadership of Dr. Kayse Shrum, president of the OSU-Center for Health Sciences,
for her visionary leadership in bringing this project forward.”
More than two-thirds of the 47,000 veterans who receive services at the current Jack
C. Montgomery Medical Center in Muskogee come from the Tulsa metro area. Of the 115,400-plus
veterans in the Eastern Oklahoma VA area, approximately 68% are closer to Tulsa than
to Muskogee, leading planners to estimate the new hospital could serve up to 30% (or
14,000) more veterans annually.
The Eastern Oklahoma VA Healthcare System has initiated plans to convert the Jack
C. Montgomery Medical Center in Muskogee into a much-needed regional facility for
behavioral health, rehabilitation, and potentially long-term care for veterans in
Oklahoma and surrounding states.
The total cost of construction for the Veterans Hospital in Tulsa is estimated at
$130 million, funded by the $120 million appropriation and $10 million in philanthropic
support. The state of Oklahoma has finalized transfer of the Kerr-Edmondson property
valued at $35 million, and the city of Tulsa has committed $8 million toward a parking
garage for the veterans hospital.
The collaborative, community-driven project is made possible by the Congressional
CHIP-IN for Veterans Act of 2016 (Communities Helping Invest through Properties and
Improvements Needed for Veterans). The act allows local communities to serve as developers
for healthcare facilities that are stated VA priorities.
The strategic CHIP-IN partnerships such as the one formed in Tulsa allows the Veteran
Administration a pathway to build facilities more efficiently and quickly than traditional
approaches. Local communities are in a better position to identify the most advantageous
site, ensure service collaboration, and better oversee construction costs and deadlines
in their local markets.
Construction is slated to be completed and turned over to the VA for outfitting by
late 2023 and open to patients in late 2024.
MEDIA CONTACTS: Hannah Jackson | hannah@schnake.com | 918.606.8721
Jane Braden | Jane@goodengroup.com | 405.818.1905