Randy Ark, a Springfield veteran, said the new location will be more centrally located and easier to get to for veterans and will provide better equipment.
“It’s just going to be great. Up-to-date, modern equipment, and I can’t say enough great stuff about the staff,” Ark said.
The clinic, described as a “multi-million” project, will offer outpatient primary care, home-based primary care, optometry, outpatient mental health, podiatry, laboratory, physical therapy, social work and audiology.
MORE: VA on new Springfield outpatient clinic: ‘It shows our commitment to the Springfield community’
“Today is an exciting day,” said Philip Kirk, chief of engineering at the Dayton VA. “Not only for the veterans who receive care from the Springfield VA outpatient clinic, not only for the city of Springfield, but for me, who was the engineer on the original Springfield VA.”
The Dayton VA Medical Center announced it was looking to expand its Springfield VA outpatient clinic in 2017.
Kirk said the old clinic, which is located on Burnett Road, first opened its doors in April of 1999. The Burnett Road location will continue to serve patients until the new clinic opens.
“We are almost two weeks shy of 20 years that we have been providing care for veterans here in Springfield,” Kirk said.
The clinic on Burnett Road is 11,887 square feet, while the new clinic will be around 12,500 square feet, a 10 percent increase in size Kirk said.
It will also offer veterans a shorter walk from the waiting room to exam rooms, which Kirk said is a problem at the current Springfield VA.
“Veterans will be able to receive treatment for multiple procedures in one room, keeping them from having to walk to the back of the building,” Kirk said.
Additional employees with be another improvement for veterans Jill Dietrich, Dayton VA CEO, said.
Currently, the Springfield VA clinic has 34 employees, but plans to hire more after construction is completed.
MORE: Springfield VA clinic outgrows location, plans $1M expansion project
“These are not built from scratch, usually we rent a space and try to modify and expand off the back of the buildings,” Dietrich said. “Being able to build to fit our needs will allow us to better serve the community and all of those who seek our help.”
Dietrich described the clinic as “a multi-million dollar project.”
Pete Patel, with PGI Development Inc., said the company has owned the land where the new clinic is being built for close to seven years and will be the builder on the project.
“We’ve been waiting to find the perfect thing to do with this section of land,” Patel said. “I’m so glad we could make this work. People deserve nothing but the best for health care needs and we are so proud to help facilitate this.”
Facts and Figures:
12,000: Square footage of the new Springfield VA outpatient clinic
10 percent: Increase in square footage compared to the previous Springfield VA
20: years since the Springfield VA first opened its doors
The Springfield News-Sun has offered coverage of the construction of a new Springfield VA outpatient clinic since the Dayton VA Medicial Center announced their expansion in 2017.
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