Constructing a NEW Yorkshire Medical Building 👷

During the first construction phase, Brookings Health is building a 12,000-square foot structure on the southwest corner of the existing Yorkshire Medical Building lot while still operating Yorkshire Eye Clinic & Optical and Brookings Health’s Home Health & Hospice services in the current structure. Once the first phase is completed in Summer 2025, Yorkshire Eye Clinic & Optical will move into the new space as well as therapy services from both Avera Medical Group Brookings and Brookings Health System. Home Health & Hospice will shift back to the main Brookings Health campus location.

Yorkshire Eye Clinic & Optical will continue to offer patients the same ophthalmology, optometry and optical services in the new space. The new eye clinic will be designed for efficient operational flow and will also include new equipment. Areas within the clinic include:

• 6 exam rooms
• 2 testing rooms
• 1 procedure room to remove foreign objects from the eye, chalazions, styes, etc.
• Retail space to shop for eye glass frames and accessories
• In-house optical lab

The remaining space will be used for outpatient therapy. Currently both physical therapists from Avera Medical Group Brookings and physical, occupational and speech therapists from Brookings Health System are planned to relocate to the new therapy clinic. 

In addition to giving more space for therapists to work with patients, the clinic will also include an aquatic therapy pool. Aquatic therapy lowers the fall risk for patients who have balance and stability issues. It also reduces stress on joints and bones while helping patients build strength and endurance. Therapists will be able to use aquatic therapy in conjunction with traditional therapy to create a customized treatment plan for patients. 

Other features of the new therapy space include:

• 10 treatment rooms
• Therapy gym with treadmill, NuStep trainer, upper body bike, elliptical, two stationary bikes, lift station, leg press, three treatment tables, hand therapy station, and multi-station machines

Once phase one is completed, the current structure will be demolished. Preparatory work will happen for phase two, building a connecting structure on the northwest corner of the lot at some point in the future. Having the capability to add additional space will allow Brookings Health the flexibility to either expand existing outpatient services or add new ones, depending on the community’s needs.

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