Medical Projects Feed Construction Pipeline

The two biggest health care projects currently under construction in the state are at opposite ends of the UAMS campus in Little Rock.

Medical Centers Construction 2022 138655 — <p>The two biggest health care projects currently under construction in the state are at opposite ends of the UAMS campus in Little Rock.</p> ()

Additions to the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences campus in Little Rock account for two of the five biggest ongoing health care construction projects in Arkansas.

The $68.5 million Orthopaedic & Spine Hospital will provide operating rooms, patient rooms and offices as well as space for the orthopedic trauma, orthopedic oncology, physical medicine and rehabilitation programs.

Construction of the 158,000-SF hospital reflects the growth of the UAMS orthopedic program and represents an expansion of the research and education offered by the UAMS Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute.

The second project, the $56 million Radiation Oncology Center, augments the UAMS Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute. The new 59,855-SF facility will house the state’s first proton therapy center in collaboration with Arkansas Children’s Hospital and Baptist Health.

UAMS officials believe the project will gain designation as a National Cancer Institute and bring millions of dollars in federal research funding and trials.

In southwest Arkansas, construction of the Sevier County Medical Center in De Queen is two months away from completion. The $18.5 million hospital will house 14 patient rooms and 10 ER rooms along with inpatient and outpatient services that include radiology, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography scanning and behavioral health. A walking trail, restaurant and large community room are part of the development picture as well.

The publicly owned hospital will replace the privately owned De Queen Medical Center, which closed in February 2019 amid financial woes. Ten months later, Sevier County voters said yes to a 1% sales tax to build and support operations of the new 43,000-SF facility.

Expected to employ about 100, Sevier County Medical Center is considered a must-have amenity to attract industry. Without it, the nearest ER and inpatient care options are about 30 miles away.

A 66,500-SF addition to Conway Regional Hospital is moving toward completion in July. The $16.8 million project encompasses 24 patient intensive care unit rooms on the third floor and fourth-floor shell space for future needs. The development includes an atrium with an interior garden.