Groundbreaking for VA Clinic in Fort Smith, Arkansas

On Oct. 30, the Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks (VHSO) held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new, 34,000-square-foot Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) in Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Currently situated inside the Baptist Health hospital, Fort Smith CBOC’s new building will have an additional 15,000-square-feet to more efficiently care for area Veterans.

This state-of-the-art facility will add eye care, audiology, laboratory and radiology services to the CBOC’s current services. The radiology section will also be equipped with a computerized tomography (CT) scan, in addition to X-ray technology. The clinic’s laboratory and radiology services will be performed by VA staff instead of a contract service.

October 30 groundbreaking ceremony for new clinic.

Increase exam rooms from 9 to 27

During the planning phase, the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) space design was applied to the new clinic’s layout. This bigger space will significantly expand the number of exam and consult rooms from nine to 27. In addition, more area will be dedicated to women Veterans’ health care and mental health care, allowing an expansion to such programs as group therapy and the substance abuse program.

Telehealth capability for such services as tele-retinal imaging in the new location have been specifically enhanced. Telehealth allows VHSO to bring health care to Veterans where they live when they desire. That makes health care more accessible and more convenient.

“We couldn’t be more excited to be a part of Fort Smith and to begin construction on our new clinic,” said medical center director Kelvin L. Parks, retired U.S. Navy Chief Yeoman (pictured above). “Improving access for Veterans in the River Valley area has been a priority for some time and we are happy to see this project moving forward.”

Based in Fayetteville, Arkansas, VHSO serves Veterans living in 23 counties in northwest Arkansas, southwest Missouri and eastern Oklahoma. The health care system also has CBOCs in Harrison and Ozark, Arkansas; Branson, Springfield and Joplin, Missouri; and Jay, Oklahoma.

Crystal L. Davis is the public affairs officer for the Health Care System of the Ozarks, Fayetteville, AR.