A 470,000-square-foot hospital was donated to the Department of Veterans Affairs to help extend care for veterans during the coronavirus pandemic.
VA acquired the Garland, Texas Baylor Scott & White Medical Center earlier this month and announced the news this week.
The hospital is planned to serve as an outpatient and specialty care clinic within the VA's North Texas Healthcare System.
At least at first, the hospital will be set up as an inpatient overflow unit with about 100 beds to treat coronavirus patients, VA said in a news release.
Later, VA plans to open the hospital up to care for the 184,000 North Texas veterans it serves "to meet the growing demand for VA healthcare in that area."
“Baylor Scott & White Health is continuously looking for the best ways to serve our communities, and we are encouraged by the opportunity to repurpose our Garland campus to better help those who have served and currently serve our country,” according to a statement from Baylor Scott & White.
The hospital -- which opened in 1964 and was once one of the largest in Dallas County -- is valued at about $400,000, according to property records, and closed in 2018 because of declining numbers of patients and failed attempts to find new owners.
“We thank Baylor Scott & White for this generous donation,” VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said in a statement. “This acquisition demonstrates VA’s innovative approach to providing care for veterans, both in this time of crisis and in the future.”
Some repairs and renovations will be needed -- to the tune of about $20 million -- before the hospital can open to more patients later this year.
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Reach Abbie Bennett: abbie@connectingvets.com or @AbbieRBennett.
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