Possible Health District

[bigboyz05]

Efforts to create a health district between Richmond and Summerhill roads is continuing. The district would be north of I-30 and would consist of a partnership between Wadley and St. Michael's once Wadley moves out there. There are plans to try and turn the old Wadley hospital into a Veteran's Hospital. It's said that this will be a good thing for the whole area.

[mcheiss]

What else is being said about this area, or what is already built healthwise?

[bigboyz05]

Southern Clinic is out there and there's a Urology Clinic in that area as well. St. Michael's Hospital is there and in a few years Wadley will relocate nearby. I've heard other clinics and medical offices are looking at that area to expand.

[Aporkalypse]

I think all of this is a good idea and that the hospitals in the same area can really create a booming area, like the Medical Mall of Mississippi in Jackson. I don't think we'll see a new VA hospital in Texarkana because of the proximity of Shreveport. You'd be surprised at some of the markets that don't have VAs (Springfield, MO and Tulsa, for example).

[dimebag1980]

I think all of this is a good idea and that the hospitals in the same area can really create a booming area, like the Medical Mall of Mississippi in Jackson. I don't think we'll see a new VA hospital in Texarkana because of the proximity of Shreveport. You'd be surprised at some of the markets that don't have VAs (Springfield, MO and Tulsa, for example).

Not having a VA in Springfield surprises me a bit, but Tulsa really surprises me.

Even if Texarkana doesn't end up with a VA, hopefully something positive will become of the old Wadley building. It wasn't very long ago that it was remodeled, so it's not a bad building. With the city looking into revitalizing its downtown right now, the loss of Wadley will be a huge blow to that area. If something were to fill that void, it would help.

The problem is, the building is too large for a specialty hospital in a market that size. Even in this market, that building would be too large for a specialty hospital. A university hospital would make a nice addition to that building, and would take a little of the strain off LSU Medical Center here in Shreveport.

[Aporkalypse]

Not having a VA in Springfield surprises me a bit, but Tulsa really surprises me.

Even if Texarkana doesn't end up with a VA, hopefully something positive will become of the old Wadley building. It wasn't very long ago that it was remodeled, so it's not a bad building. With the city looking into revitalizing its downtown right now, the loss of Wadley will be a huge blow to that area. If something were to fill that void, it would help.

The problem is, the building is too large for a specialty hospital in a market that size. Even in this market, that building would be too large for a specialty hospital. A university hospital would make a nice addition to that building, and would take a little of the strain off LSU Medical Center here in Shreveport.

There wouldn't be a medical school to use it in Texarkana, so it couldn't be a University Hospital.

The old VA Hospital in Little Rock, which was abandoned in the early 1980s was vacant for a very long time before being used as some sort of HQs for a church organization. Hospitals tend to be tricky to convert to other uses.

[dimebag1980]

There wouldn't be a medical school to use it in Texarkana, so it couldn't be a University Hospital.

The old VA Hospital in Little Rock, which was abandoned in the early 1980s was vacant for a very long time before being used as some sort of HQs for a church organization. Hospitals tend to be tricky to convert to other uses.

Very true... they'd have to establish a medical school, which they won't just to use the building.

And I agree, it's hard to convert a hospital. That's why I fear the worst when Wadley vacates the building.

[Aporkalypse]

Very true... they'd have to establish a medical school, which they won't just to use the building.

And I agree, it's hard to convert a hospital. That's why I fear the worst when Wadley vacates the building.

The old Baptist Memorial Hospital in NLR, which is similar in size to Wadley, was converted for use by the state for offices. Perhaps it could be used to serve some sort of government function.

[bigboyz05]

I think Texarkana should explore bringing a children's hospital here. There are so many children who are injured in this area every year. Unfortunately some of them die en route to children's hospitals in Little Rock or Dallas. I think having something like that here would be a good thing. It probably won't happen for a long while though.

[dimebag1980]

I think Texarkana should explore bringing a children's hospital here. There are so many children who are injured in this area every year. Unfortunately some of them die en route to children's hospitals in Little Rock or Dallas. I think having something like that here would be a good thing. It probably won't happen for a long while though.

Well, even closer they just opened 2 children's hospitals in Shreveport this year... so again would there be a need? I agree that childrens' hospitals are great things to have, but where is the saturation point when you have them in Shreveport, Little Rock, and Dallas?

Anyway I'm just asking because I don't know. Obviously you can have too many VA hospitals within a certain region, but can you have too many childrens' hospitals? Maybe Aporkalypse could chime in on this, since he knows a little somethin about the medical industry.

[mcheiss]

I think Texarkana should explore bringing a children's hospital here. There are so many children who are injured in this area every year. Unfortunately some of them die en route to children's hospitals in Little Rock or Dallas. I think having something like that here would be a good thing. It probably won't happen for a long while though.

The market is oversaturated. Shreveport, Little Rock, and Dallas all come to mind as markets with Children's Hospitals. We in NWA don't even have a childrens hospital becuase of the one's in Little Rock, Springfield, and Tulsa.

[Aporkalypse]

The market is oversaturated. Shreveport, Little Rock, and Dallas all come to mind as markets with Children's Hospitals. We in NWA don't even have a childrens hospital becuase of the one's in Little Rock, Springfield, and Tulsa.

You're right. The ones in LR and Dallas are two of the nation's six largest Children's hospitals. Shreveport did need one and was wise to build it but there's no need for another in the region. Too much competition.

[dimebag1980]

You're right. The ones in LR and Dallas are two of the nation's six largest Children's hospitals. Shreveport did need one and was wise to build it but there's no need for another in the region. Too much competition.

Shreveport not only built one, but two... simultaneously. Christus Schumpert teamed with PGA golfer Hal Sutton and opened Sutton's Children's at Christus Schumpert, while LSU opened their children's hospital. Obviously that was too much for this market, and in my opinion, only one will ultimately prevail. I tend to believe that the state-funded one will win out, but only time will tell.

[Aporkalypse]

Shreveport not only built one, but two... simultaneously. Christus Schumpert teamed with PGA golfer Hal Sutton and opened Sutton's Children's at Christus Schumpert, while LSU opened their children's hospital. Obviously that was too much for this market, and in my opinion, only one will ultimately prevail. I tend to believe that the state-funded one will win out, but only time will tell.

I agree, that is a bizarre situation. It kind of hurts the patients because two smaller hospitals can't offer the kind of specialized care one really large one can.

[dimebag1980]

I agree, that is a bizarre situation. It kind of hurts the patients because two smaller hospitals can't offer the kind of specialized care one really large one can.

Agreed.

And I believe that ultimately, the state-funded hospital will have the better chance of becoming larger, as the other one might have to rely on donations.