Cook Children’s Health Care System and JPS Health Network are teaming up for the first time to bring a new health care center to west Fort Worth.
The health systems broke ground Tuesday on the Las Vegas Trail neighborhood health center at the corner of Calmont Avenue and Cherry Lane.
The two-story, 40,000-square-foot facility will include Cook Children’s ninth neighborhood health center, a new JPS medical home, food pantry, on-site job training and a Fort Worth police outpost.
The center will provide pediatric and adult medical, behavioral health and social services to the Last Vegas Trail neighborhood. The clinic will be built on 3.7 acres that were donated to Cook Children’s.
“We are bringing comprehensive health care to the doorstep of this community,” said District 3 councilmember Michael D. Crain. “We’re bridging the gap between medical services and the people who need them most. We’re ensuring that no one has to delay preventative care or rely on emergency rooms that could be managed more effectively and more affordably at a neighborhood clinic.”
With the launch of the clinic, the organizations hope to tackle the health care desert that exists on the west side of Fort Worth.
In 2021, the 76116 and 76108 zip codes that form the Las Vegas Trail area generated more than 4,000 visits to Cook Children’s emergency department and urgent care centers. The visits were considered primary care rather than emergencies or urgent situations.
An additional 6,200 patients sought services in one of Cook Children’s other neighborhood health center locations, none of which are easily accessible from Las Vegas Trail, especially for those with transportation challenges, according to Cook Children’s.
Currently, the closest health care facility to the neighborhood is the North Texas Area Community Health Center, which serves residents with and or without insurance. For residents without a car, the trip to the clinic can take over an hour.
“We are eliminating a barrier to an elevated quality of life,” said Paige Charbonnet, executive director of LVTRise. “I believe this will have a ripple effect that will bring more good into our neighborhood.”
Cook Children’s Health Foundation is spearheading funding for the project with the support of donations.
The center is expected to open in late 2025.
David Moreno is the health reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at david.moreno@fortworthreport.org or via Twitter.
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