Sevier County breaks ground on new hospital
De QUEEN, Ark. —After two years of turmoil including the closing of the former hospital and a special election, Sevier County Arkansas residents broke ground on a county hospital in the fall of 2020.
The county’s former hospital closed in early 2019 after a series of financial problems. It was owned by an out-ofstate company.
The new hospital will be operated by the county and have a local board.
In October 2019, 84% of county residents voted “Yes” for a 1% sales tax that will pay for a new hospital.
The 14-bed medical facility will be located on the east side of U.S. Highway 71, a few miles north of De Queen.
The site is about 18 acres, and plans are also being made to cut trees on the land and design a visually appealing campus for the hospital.
The hospital is expected to be about 42,000 square feet and includes an outpatient rehab facility. It should employ about 105 people.
Residents of De Queen and the surrounding area got more good news late in the year.
Pilgrim’s Pride contributed $480,000 to build a a splash pad at Herman Dierks Memorial Park.
The money is part of the company’s Hometown Strong Program where Pilgrim’s works with community leaders to determine where funds could best help meet immediate and longer-term community needs.
The state-of-the-art splash pad will provide outdoor entertainment for the community, and construction will begin in the first quarter of 2021, according to officials.
The Hometown Strong Program works by working with community leaders to help meed immediate and longer-term community needs.
The company is also funding a onemile walking trail on the campus of Sevier County’s new hospital. The trail will provide landscaped and lighted outdoor space for hospital staff, patients, visitors and the broader community.
In all, Pilgrim’s is investing $715,000 in De Queen through the Hometown Strong program.