Healthy Living

HEALTHY LIVING New Ernest Childers VA Outpatient Clinic Opens in Tulsa

BY KAREN SZABO

Eastern Oklahoma veterans now have access to greatly expanded healthcare services at a new south Tulsa clinic. Construction is also expected to start this fall on a new medical-surgical hospital downtown.

Better healthcare is closer to home for about 36,000 eastern Oklahoma veterans through the new Ernest Childers Department of Veterans Affairs Outpatient Clinic. The Eastern Oklahoma VA Health Care System serves veterans in 25 counties in eastern Oklahoma, and almost 80% of those veterans live in Tulsa County. Two years in the making, the impressive new facility opened its doors to veterans in July 2021 and replaces the Tulsa clinic on 41st Street, which closed in August 2021. The new clinic, located across the street from Hillcrest Hospital South at 8921 South Mingo Road, is named for Ernest Childers, a member of the Muscogee Nation and the first American Indian to be awarded the Medal of Honor in World War II. Childers survived the war and remained in the U.S. Army until he retired in 1965 with the rank of lieutenant colonel.

MORE SPACE, MORE SERVICES

With 172,000 square feet, the new clinic is more than four times the size of the previous clinic and allows the Department of Veterans Affairs to expand current services and offer new services such as chemotherapy and infusion, endoscopy and mammography. The expanded space also offers more imaging services, increased women’s healthcare, primary care and behavioral health. The VA also plans to offer MRI services soon. In addition, the Audiology Clinic, formerly located at the Tulsa Eleventh Street VA Clinic, moved to the new Ernest Childers VA Outpatient Clinic. Along with VA healthcare services, the clinic also has three offices for Veteran Service Organizations which can help Veterans with VA benefits claims. Located on 22 acres, the VA greatly expanded parking at the new clinic with approximately 1,000 parking spaces, a golf cart

SERVICES OFFERED

A-H

Audiology, Blind and Low Vision Rehabilitation, COVID-19 Testing and Vaccines, Cancer Care, Cardiology, Dental, Dermatology, Dietary Care, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, General Surgery, Hand Surgery, Hematology

I-P

Lab, Mental Health, MOVE! Program, Nephrology, Neurology, Occupational Therapy, Optometry, Orthopedics, Otolaryngology, Pain Management, Palliative Care, Patient Advocates, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Primary Care, Podiatry, Prosthetic and Sensory Aids, Pulmonary

R-Z

Radiology, Rheumatology, Social Work, Speech Pathology, Telehealth, Urology, Veteran Service Officers, Voluntary Services, Women’s Clinic, Wound Care