Simmons said the VA expects to occupy the new clinic in 18 months, or in early 2011.
“We are very excited about awarding a contract to construct a new VA Outpatient Clinic in the community of Middletown, Ohio. One that will be almost three times as larger than the existing clinic,” said Guy B. Richardson, director of the Dayton VA Medical Center. “We will continue to collaborate with community stakeholders and veteran service organizations in an effort to meet the health care needs of our nation’s veterans.”
Said Simmons, “As a facility, the Dayton VA Medical Center staff including the Middletown CBOC is honored to provide high quality health care and services to veterans.”
The 18,520-square foot facility will allow the VA to provide additional services such as radiology as well as occupational and physical therapy, she said.
The current 7,000-square-foot clinic at 675 N. University Blvd. opened in 1998. There are 29 full- and part-time employees assigned there, ranging from physicians and nurses to office staff, Simmons said.
Al.Neyer Inc. will be designing and constructing the clinic, Simmons said.
The Middletown clinic is one of four in the Dayton VA Medical Center network. The others are in Springfield and Lima, and Richmond, Ind. Among the services provided at the Middletown clinic are primary care, optometry, podiatry, a full-service laboratory, mental health services and a pharmacy.
Simmons said the expansion has been planned for about five years, when local VA officials saw a need for larger quarters to provide outpatient medical services for veterans in Butler and Warren counties.
An average of 2,500 veterans a year used the clinic from 2006 to 2008, Simmons said. She said from October 2008 to April 2009, more than 2,000 veterans had been seen.
Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2871 or erichter@coxohio.com.
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