Previous Story
Guam to have new veterans outpatient clinic
|
Posted on Oct 03 2008
[B]WASHINGTON[/B]—Veterans on Guam came one step closer to having a new, 6,000 square-foot outpatient clinic to replace the current one when the Department of Veterans Affairs awarded a construction contract to Reliable Builders, Inc. last week.
The replacement outpatient clinic vastly increases the size of the existing 3,800 square-foot VA clinic at the naval hospital. The new clinic will be located near the Naval Hospital Guam’s main gate and include a new entry road, parking lot and service area, so veterans will no longer have to clear through Naval Base security.
With a planned completion date in December 2009, the new clinic will have a reception room with waiting area, exam and treatment rooms and tele-health capabilities.
“With this new clinic, VA will be better suited to serve the more than 9,000 veterans living on Guam,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs James Peake, who is in Hawaii this week attending a summit on the Future of Health Care in the Insular Areas. “Veterans and their representatives have long been asking for more VA presence on the island. This new clinic will provide a big step in that direction.”
The existing clinic employs a staff of 11, including an internal medicine physician, psychiatrist and nurse practitioner. It provides primary and mental health care, limited specialty services and physical exams for VA’s compensation and pension benefits.
“Many people are not aware of the contribution that Guam’s veterans have made to our nation. For example, Guam had more casualties per capita than any state in the Union,” said Peake. “Since World War II, men and women of Guam have served in every conflict. We owe them access to the world-class health care of VA. They have earned it.” [B][I](VA)[/I][/B]
