OWASSO, Okla. — Owasso residents will soon have a lot more options when it comes to accessing healthcare services in their own backyard.

Ascension St. John Owasso and Encompass Health broke ground on a new rehabilitation inpatient hospital last month. They plan to open their doors to patients by next March.

Construction crews are already moving dirt at the future site of the new 40-bed inpatient rehab hospital being built on East 86th Street North that has the ability to expand up to 60 beds.

“The feedback we’re that we’ve got from the Owasso community is they’re having to travel to Broken Arrow and to Tulsa to get care,” said Wyatt Hockmeyer, President of Ascension St. John Owasso Hospital. “And so the ask was that we provide a similar service in Owasso and that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

Hockmeyer says the new facility will provide assistance to a variety of patients including stroke victims, patients with hip fractures and those with brain injuries.

The new $26 million facility is expected to initially employ 125 staff members. That number could grow to 170 employees.

Hockmeyer adds that they’re also doing an $8 million dollar 18-bed expansion on the second floor of the Ascension St. John Owasso Hospital, adding 14 intermediate care beds and 4 ICU’s. He says these will be the first medical ICU’s in Owasso.

“Right now if someone needs ICU level care they have to be transferred to Tulsa,” he noted, “and so being able to provide a full service community hospital here in Owasso is our goal.”

Just over three miles away, crews in hard hats are busy at work on the Warren Clinic’s newest Owasso location off of Highway 169 and Highway 20.

The new structure will offer additional services not currently available at the existing facility in Owasso.

One of those services will be the new urgent care located on the north side of this new building.

“Patients and consumers need care whenever its urgent,” said Collin Henry, President of the Warren Clinic. “This will be a seven day offering.”

The new clinic is expected to be complete by the end of the year and employee about 60, it will also offer imaging, lab work, and physical and occupational therapy.

The new $27 million clinic is expected to be complete by the end of the year and employee about 60, it will also offer imaging, lab work, and physical and occupational therapy.

“We have a growing demand for access for services,” Henry said, “and our current site in Owosso is not as accessible as the new one will be right off of Highway 169 and Highway 20.”

City Manager Warren Lehr says healthcare is a target industry for the city, and is included in their economic development strategic plan.

“We’re more or less a stand-alone community that has the things that our residents need,” he said, “and if you have great schools, great businesses, great healthcare, great churches , the things that people want, that’s attractive to investors.”

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