Fort Worth community to get new facility in 'health care desert'

FORT WORTH, Texas - After years without a significant healthcare facility nearby the Las Vegas Trail community in Fort Worth will soon have a new 40,000 square foot health center.

County, city and health care providers celebrated the future of health care in Fort Worth at a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday.

The ceremonial turn of the dirt celebrated a healthier future for children and families in the area.

"We are in the Las Vegas Trail community, a health care desert, so this will be life-changing for the community members here," said Paige Charbonnet, the Executive Director of nonprofit LVTRise.

The new resource will fill a void that has long existed where more than 20,000 children 14 years old and younger reside.

The new center will include Cook Children's ninth neighborhood health center, a new JPS medical site, a food pantry, a Fort Worth police sub-station and a job training and community education site.

"We’re looking at the whole health of a person, so yes you can get your primary care here, but you can get food distribution. There will be classes teaching you how to cook the food, also a robust mental health system here too. So we’re going to address the whole health of the residents who live here," said Fort Worth City Councilman Michael Crain.

The new Las Vegas Trail neighborhood health center is expected to open in late 2025.

"Together we’ll make the ability for children and families to be healthy and well and have their primary medical needs met as well as what they need to help their families," said Chris Pedigo.

By the time the healthcare center will open in 2025 there is 7% growth predicted for the Las Vegas Trail community.