The clinic has been located on Burnett Road since the early 2000s, but Dayton VA officials said a new space is necessary to accommodate the growing veteran population.
“It shows our commitment to the Springfield community and the veterans that we serve there that we’re looking to do this,” said Philip Kirk, chief of engineering at the Dayton VA.
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Kirk said a cost for construction hasn’t been finalized.
The Springfield News-Sun previously reported the estimated cost at $1 million.
According to a news release, the Springfield clinic has served more than 3,600 veterans with more than 21,000 outpatient clinics. Kirk said there’s been an increase in the number of veterans served due to additional wars, such as the War in Afghanistan, and an aging veteran population.
Kirk said the new location will be an expansion of nearly 3,000 sq. ft. and will have more examination rooms and providers. There are currently 34 employees at the Springfield clinic. The Dayton VA said there are plans to hire more staff, but wasn’t able to provide exact numbers.
“There’s plenty of room to build the size clinic that we want,” Kirk said. “It’s located very close to Route 72 and Route 68. It’s in an ideal part of town to allow the easiest access for the veterans to be able to get there.”
Kirk said the new location will also have a blueprint that’s easy to navigate.
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“While (the Burnett Road) location has served us well, we’ve added onto the original size of the clinic twice — so the layout and flow of the building is a little bit less than ideal.”
Air Force and Air National Guard veteran, Eliza Ricks said she lives about 10 miles away from the current site, and said the new location would be much more convenient for her.
“(N. Limestone) is more populated than (East Springfield) and I think it would be more accessible to the majority of people who come here,” she said.
Army veteran Randy Ark is heavily involved in veteran’s affairs in the area and said he’s excited for the new space.
“I just think it’s gonna be handier for people to get to and that’s really important for veterans, you know — a lot of us are getting up there in years,” he said. “There are a lot of good people that work at the clinic and they go beyond what they have to or what they’re supposed to do to help service veterans.”
The 512 Burnett Rd. location will continue to serve patients until the new location opens in 2019. The Dayton VA says at that time, all veterans’ medical information and appointment schedules will be seamlessly transferred to the new clinic.
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