Oklahoma State University (OSU) has announced the ceremonial topping off of the Veterans Hospital in Tulsa, US.

Held on 27 August, the ceremony marked the project's midway point and enabled OSU to thank the designers, architects, builders, and construction crews who have been dedicated to the project since 2021.

Speakers at the event included OSU president Dr Kayse Shrum, OSU Center for Health Sciences president Dr Johnny Stephens and Veterans Hospital project director Courtney Knoblock.

Shrum said: “We know that doing the right thing by veterans will improve medical care for the entire community.

“New medical specialists, more medical residents and increased health care expertise for Oklahomans all across our state.”

The Veterans Hospital site is located near the OSU Medical Center in downtown Tulsa within the former Kerr-Edmondson buildings.

The 319,000ft² facility is a collaborative effort involving multiple stakeholders, including the federal government, the State of Oklahoma, Tulsa County, the City of Tulsa, private philanthropy and OSU itself.

Its construction budget was around $176.4m while the supportive site work and parking incurred an additional cost of more than $19m.

Renovation and construction of the hospital are due to be completed next year, after which the US Department of Veterans Affairs will assume ownership of the hospital and prepare it for opening in early 2026.

The hospital will include 58 beds, four operating suites and an emergency department.

It will serve an estimated 66,000 patients a year, representing a 14% increase in service capacity for veterans.

The hospital will also create around 50 residency spots for OSU Medicine.

Construction has also begun on the Oklahoma Psychiatric Care Center, which is located next to the Veterans Hospital site, as well as a parking garage

These facilities will support both new hospitals within the OSU Academic Medical District.