Veterans Hospital in Tulsa (VHiT)
VHiT LLC is a nonprofit vehicle for the development and construction of a new $181.4 million, 58-bed, Veterans Hospital in Tulsa.
An array of supporting partners have played critical roles, including the state of Oklahoma (Governor’s Office, Office of Management and Enterprise Services, State Legislature, Commissioners of the Land Office), the City of Tulsa, Tulsa County and the Tulsa Regional Chamber. In addition, a number of private donors have invested funds in support of both the VA Hospital and the larger OSU Medical Campus Expansion.
On Tuesday, Oct. 19, 2024 Oklahoma legislators in both houses of Congress overwhelmingly passed a bill to name the VA Hospital in Tulsa, The James Mountain Inhofe VA Medical Center. This hospital will honor the legacy of the late Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe, one of Oklahoma’s most ardent supporters of U.S. men and women in uniform and critical supporter of this new hospital.
Watch progress in real time on the Crossland Construction time lapse video:
Support for a Veterans Hospital in Tulsa
VA Hospital in Tulsa: Background and Timeline
VHiT News and Updates
Learn more about the Veterans Hospital in Downtown Tulsa from selected news clips. Use the arrows to click through to older articles.
NOV 11, 2025
City and state leaders celebrate Veterans Day with dedication of new Veterans Medical Center
City and state leaders gathered Monday to celebrate Veterans Day and honor those who have served, including former U.S. Sen. and Veteran James Mountain Inhofe, with the dedication of a brand-new Veteran Medical Center named in his honor.
The new James Mountain Inhofe Veterans Medical Center will serve as a vital health care resource for thousands of Veterans across Green Country, bringing expanded medical access closer to home.
The center, part of the Veterans Health Administration, aims to provide quality health care and economic opportunity while reducing the need for Veterans to travel long distances for treatment.
NOV 11, 2025
VA takes control of new Tulsa hospital in ceremony on Veterans Day
The James M. Inhofe Veterans’ Administration Hospital nearing completion on downtown’s west side is unusual, a fact demonstrated again Tuesday morning by a two-hour ceremony not to cut ribbons or spade dirt, but to hand off giant-sized skeleton keys.
Thus Oklahoma State University’s Center for Health Sciences turned over control of the property to the VA, completing a chain of custody that began in 2020 when 5.2 acres and the former Kerr and Edmondson state office buildings were transferred to OSU by the state.
OCT 21, 2024
High-ranking Veterans Administration official checks out Tulsa project
Tulsa’s new Veterans Administration hospital is on track and Muskogee’s existing hospital will remain one, the VA’s second-ranking official said during a visit on Monday.
“We’re currently looking at being able to accept the hospital for the VA in September 2025. We’re very hopeful that we’ll have it open in ‘26,” Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs Tanya Bradsher said during a press conference at the Ernest Childers VA Outpatient Clinic, 8921 S. Mingo Road.
The Veterans Hospital in Tulsa, under construction on the west side of downtown, is being built with a unique combination of local, state, federal and philanthropic funds that the VA hopes will become a model for future projects.
AUG 28, 2024
Topping off celebration held for Veterans Hospital in Tulsa
Dignitaries, leaders and government officials came together Tuesday morning to celebrate the ceremonial topping off of the Veterans Hospital in Tulsa (VHiT). Speakers and guests at the ceremony included those from federal, state and local government, higher education, health care and philanthropy.
The new 319,000-square-foot veterans hospital is located in the former Kerr-Edmondson buildings at Houston Avenue and Seventh Street in downtown Tulsa just north of the OSU Medical Center in the OSU Academic Medical District.
The project is a collaboration between the federal government, state of Oklahoma, Tulsa County, city of Tulsa, private philanthropy and Oklahoma State University.
Courtney Knoblock, VHiT director and vice president of programs for the Anne & Henry Zarrow Foundation, said that the project started with a sense of duty to provide our veterans with the best possible health care.
JAN 7, 2023
New Tulsa VA hospital gets additional $31.2 million
An additional $31.2 million is on its way to Tulsa’s new downtown Veterans Affairs hospital, according to VHiT, the nonprofit overseeing the project.
VHiT (Veterans Hospital in Tulsa) said Friday that the additional appropriation — made through last month’s $1.7 trillion omnibus bill and the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act — will offset unexpected construction costs.
“This new VA hospital has been a herculean effort by so many, and we had faith that our federal delegation would help increase funding to cover this unprecedented inflation,” VHiT Director Courtney Knoblock wrote in an email.
JULY 26, 2022
Demolition begins on new Veterans Hospital in Tulsa
TULSA, Okla. (Tuesday, July 26, 2022) – Demolition on the Kerr-Edmondson Buildings in downtown Tulsa begins today. Demolition contractor DT Specialized Services, Inc was selected by the Veterans Hospital in Tulsa (VHiT) project team in late spring. Demolition is expected to last six months, and the first phase includes gutting interiors. DT Specialized Services has led demolition on other landmark Tulsa projects including Gilcrease Museum, the Cox Business Center, and the Camelot Hotel.…
Built in 1975, the Kerr Edmondson Building served as an office building that was owned by the Office of Management and Enterprise Solutions of the State of Oklahoma. Prior to initiating demolition, the privately developed Federal project underwent National Environmental Policy Act and Historical Preservation clearance.
OCTOBER 30, 2021
New 58-bed Tulsa VA hospital scheduled to open in 2024
In 2024, the Eastern Oklahoma VA Health Care System will expand health care for Veterans by opening a new 58-bed VA hospital in Tulsa.
Located at 7th and Houston in downtown Tulsa, the VA hospital will be part of the Oklahoma State University (OSU) Medical Center Campus and the first VA hospital in the nation built as part of a public-private partnership.
The project is a combination of federal and private funds from the Anne & Henry Zarrow Foundation. The State of Oklahoma is also assisting by donating the Kerr-Edmondson buildings, which will be converted into the hospital. The City of Tulsa has committed to building a parking garage on site.
OCTOBER 18, 2021
Downtown Tulsa VA hospital attracting attention for collaboration
“A lot is riding on this,” said Michael Brennan, the VA’s chief construction and facilities management officer. “We’re building momentum for having ways for the community and the Department of Veterans Affairs to partner, not just here but at (other) locations.”
Collaboration among federal, state and local governments, the Oklahoma State University Medical Center and its affiliated Center for Health Sciences, plus $26 million from private donors, are the reasons for the interest. All combined to secure authorization for the $193 million project under the 2016 CHIP-IN Act, which allows nonfederal funders to partner with the VA to provide VA facilities.
OCTOBER 15, 2021
New VA hospital breaks ground in Downtown Tulsa
Soon thousands of Green Country Veterans won’t have to travel a long way for healthcare.Today a groundbreaking ceremony was held for the new VA Hospital in Downtown Tulsa at the expanded OSU Medical Center grounds.
The $130 million project is a collaborative effort involving the federal, state, county, city, donors, and OSU leaders, all to benefit veterans in the community.
“For veterans’ health, this is a great day. They’re going to be able to put a new hospital downtown paired with an academic medical center, just an amazing opportunity for Veterans health,” Johnny Stephens, interim president with OSU Center For Health Sciences said.
SEPTEMBER 14, 2021
Tulsa VA medical complex to get $4 million from Tulsa County’s COVID relief allocation
“Tulsa County is proud to join many public and private partners, including The Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation, to support this expansion and improve health outcomes for our nation’s veterans, as well as those in our community experiencing a mental health crisis,” Tulsa County Commission Chairman Stan Sallee said in a written statement.
JANUARY 24, 2021
New VA hospital for Tulsa fulfills a public and personal mission
Earlier this month, Congress approved the final funding for a new veterans hospital, clearing the way for construction to soon begin on the downtown Tulsa center across from Oklahoma State University Medical Center campus and Cox Business Center.
JANUARY 3, 2021
OSU helps bring new veterans hospital to Tulsa
The state announced Sunday that President Trump signed a law that approved $120 million in federal funding for a Veterans Hospital in Tulsa.
DECEMBER 31, 2020
$120 million in federal funding approved for new VA hospital in Tulsa
On Sunday, the president signed a law approving $120 million in federal funding for a new Veterans Hospital in Tulsa (VHiT), which will be the first hospital to be built under the Communities Helping Invest through Property and Improvements Needed for Veterans Act of 2016 (CHIP-IN Act).
DECEMBER 30, 2020
Changes coming to Muskogee veterans hospital
Muskogee’s Jack C. Montgomery VA Medical Center will shift its focus to geriatric and mental health patients when a new veterans hospital is built in Tulsa.
DECEMBER 30, 2020
Funds approved for new VA hospital in Tulsa
On Sunday, the president signed a law approving $120 million in federal funding for a new Veterans Hospital in Tulsa (VHiT), which will be the first hospital to be built under the Communities Helping Invest through Property and Improvements Needed for Veterans Act of 2016 (CHIP-IN Act).
DECEMBER 28, 2020
$120M Veterans Hospital To Be Built In Downtown Tulsa
Tulsa will soon have a new VA hospital with $120-million of federal funding being approved to build the new facility downtown.
DECEMBER 28, 2020
Funding approved for Tulsa’s VA hospital, set to open in 2024
TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) – With funding approved, all lights are green for construction to begin on a new veterans hospital in Tulsa.
DECEMBER 28, 2020
Construction to begin for Tulsa’s VA hospital after Congress approves funding
TULSA, Okla. — Construction is set to begin on a new veterans hospital in Tulsa after Congress recently approved the federal money.
AUGUST 13, 2020
Sen. Inhofe ‘very, very proud’ of progress on new VA hospital in downtown Tulsa
The transformation of two state office buildings into a downtown Tulsa Veterans Affairs hospital is on track for an opening in 2024, U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe was told Wednesday.
FEBRUARY 11, 2020
Trump’s Proposed Budget Includes $120M for Veterans Hospital in Downtown Tulsa
President Trump’s proposed budget includes $120 million for a VA hospital in downtown Tulsa.
The Veterans Hospital in Tulsa, or VHiT project, would convert the state-owned Kerr Edmondson building across Seventh Street from OSU Medical Center into a 275,000-square foot, 58-bed hospital.
FEBRUARY 11, 2020
$173 million Veterans Affairs hospital planned for downtown Tulsa
A new downtown Tulsa Veterans Affairs hospital and a repurposing of the VA’s Muskogee medical center are key components of a plan revealed Monday after President Donald Trump included $120 million for the Tulsa facility in his budget.
The Tulsa hospital will occupy the Kerr-Edmondson state office complex on Houston Avenue between Third and Sixth streets and across Sixth from the Oklahoma State University Medical Center.
Gallery: Veterans Hospital in Tulsa Transfer Ceremony
The Veterans Hospital in Tulsa (VHiT), named after former U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe, a strong proponent of the project, officially transferred ownership to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on Nov. 11, 2025.
Veterans, dignitaries, leaders and government officials attended the transfer ceremony to celebrate the progress toward improved access to Veteran health care access . Speakers and guests at the ceremony included those from federal, state and local government, higher education, health care and philanthropy.
Gallery: Veterans Hospital in Tulsa Topping Off Ceremony
Dignitaries, leaders and government officials came together Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024 to celebrate the ceremonial topping off of the Veterans Hospital in Tulsa (VHiT). Speakers and guests at the ceremony included those from federal, state and local government, higher education, health care and philanthropy.
Speakers at the event included Courtney Knoblock, VHiT director and vice president of programs for the Anne & Henry Zarrow Foundation, OSU President Kayse Shrum; Dr. Johnny Stephens, president of OSU Center for Health Sciences; Del Beaver, second chief of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation; Grover Wind, acting secretary of Veterans Affairs for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation; Michael Brennan, executive director of construction and facilities management with the VA; and John Priest, president of Crossland Construction.
The topping off ceremony commemorated the project surpassing its midway point and served as a thank you celebration for the designers, architects, builders and construction crews who have been working on the project since 2021.
Gallery: Veterans Hospital in Tulsa Groundbreaking
More than 130 distinguished guests gathered in downtown Tulsa for the ceremonial groundbreaking of the Veterans hospital in downtown Tulsa on Friday, Oct. 15, 2021. Remarks were provided by key elected officials including U.S. Senator James Lankford, Dr. Michael Brennan Executive Director for the Office of Construction and Facilities Management, and Dr. Steven L. Lieberman, Deputy to the Deputy Under Secretary for Health. The event was emceed by Dr. Kayse Shrum, President of Oklahoma State University.
VHiT Advisory Board
Senator Kevin Matthews
Oklahoma State Senate
Representative Josh West
Oklahoma House of Representatives, Veteran & Chair of Veterans Caucus
Councilor Phil Lakin
Tulsa City Council & Tulsa Community Foundation, CEO
Jed Cochran
City of Tulsa, Chief of Intergovernmental Relations and Veterans Liaison
Jay Helm
American Residential Group, Chairman OSU Medical Authority
Bill Major
The Anne & Henry Zarrow Foundation, President
Dr. Trudy Milner
Oklahoma A&M Board of Regents
Jim D. Hess
Oklahoma State University, President
VHiT Funders
The Veterans Hospital in Tulsa is possible because of $73 Million in Oklahoma Support of the Medical Campus Expansion.
The Anne & Henry Zarrow Foundation
Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies
Morningcrest Healthcare Foundation
Maxine and Jack Zarrow Family Foundation
The Helmerich Trust
Ruth Nelson
The H.A. and Mary K. Chapman Charitable Trust
Sarah and John Graves
Common Bond Foundation
William S. Smith Charitable Trust
Sanford & Irene Burnstein Foundation
City of Tulsa
Tulsa County
State of Oklahoma
For more information about the Veterans Hospital in Tulsa:
Owners Rep
Stonebridge Group:
Reed Woods
About VHiT Background and Structure
Project Director:
Courtney Knoblock
About OSU-CHS Medical Partnerships, Residencies
OSU-CHS President:
Johnny Stephens
Media Contact: hannah@schnake.com 918.606.8721