De QUEEN, Ark. --Rain couldn't keep county residents from touring the new Sevier County Medical Center on Friday.
The hospital, at 960 Highway 71 N., held its grand opening Friday and a large crowd turned out to see the facility that the county has been working toward for over three years.
The $24 million hospital should start accepting patients in about a week.
"This is your hospital," hospital board Chairman Steve Cole said to the large crowd. "Go look at it. This is what the tax is for. This is what we wanted to do."
Cole said the construction process is finished but now comes the hard part.
"We have to keep it a viable, functioning hospital," he said.
Sevier County voters approved a 1% sale tax in a 2019 special election to build the hospital. The former hospital, which was owned by an out-of-state company, closed earlier in 2019 after a series of financial setbacks.
The closure of the previous hospital has been hard on the county's residents, who have had to go to Nashville or Ashdown for treatment, Cole said.
Residents were eager to tour the new hospital and see the different departments, such as radiology and emergency.
"It couldn't have been any better as the entire community came out to support their local hospital. We have purposely hired the staff we have to match the energy of the hospital, meaning patient care will be job one," Cole said.
Cole also thanked the city of De Queen and Mayor Jeff Brown for their cooperation. Since the hospital was built outside the city limits, cooperation from the city was needed for infrastructure issues such as sewerage.
The new hospital has 15 beds and 10 rooms in the emergency department, according to county officials.
Hospital staff have been moving in over the last few weeks and training employees. The hospital is expected to employ over 100 people, which is good for economic development, Cole said.
"That is huge for our area," Cole said.
The new hospital was scheduled to open Sept. 20, but construction delays pushed the date back.
Vandalism earlier this year at the site slowed construction of the hospital for a bit, but replacement materials were obtained fairly quickly, and officials announced it would not affect the opening date.
Thieves broke into the construction site and stole installed copper lines.
A staff member at the Sevier County Medical Center shows a couple around a hospital room Friday, Dec. 2, 2022, during the hospital’s grand opening. (Staff photo by Lori Dunn.)
Sevier County Medical Center CEO Lori House visits with a county resident Friday, Dec. 2, 2022, at the hospital’s grand opening in De Queen, Ark. Sevier County voters approved a 1% sale tax in a 2019 special election to build the hospital. The former hospital, which was owned by an out-of-state company, closed earlier in 2019 after a series of financial setbacks. (Staff photo by Lori Dunn)