Thursday, Jul. 03, 2008
Mount Vernon VA clinic to open by summer 2009
Primary care, mental health, dental care will be offered
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closeMOUNT VERNON — Whatcom County veterans who have spent more than a decade pushing for a medical clinic closer than Seattle will get their wish as early as next spring when one opens in the Mount Vernon Medical Building.
“By opening this clinic we plan to bring care closer to more than 6,500 veterans a year,” said Stan Johnson, director of the Department of Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System.
He spoke Wednesday during a news conference announcing the location of the VA’s new Northwest Washington Community Based Outpatient Clinic.
The 16,700-square-foot primary- care center will serve veterans in Skagit, North Snohomish, Whatcom, Island, San Juan and surrounding counties when it opens sometime between late spring and early summer next year.
It also will provide veterans with mental health and women’s health services.
“Forgive me if I can’t stop smiling,” said U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. “It’s been a long, long time coming. A lot of twists, turns and barriers (were) thrown at us.”
Murray and U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Everett, spearheaded the effort to expand VA medical services. Whatcom County veterans have been pushing since at least 1995 for the clinic, but they had hoped it would be located in Bellingham.
“Local veterans have led the way,” Larsen told veterans gathered for the news conference in the currently empty second floor of the Mount Vernon Medical Building.
The VA will lease the space from Mount Vernon Medical Building, 307 S. 13th St., near Skagit Valley Hospital. Upon its opening, the 700 veterans who have been assigned to the interim VA clinic in Sedro-Woolley will be transferred to Mount Vernon.
The Sedro-Woolley center, which is 2,300 square feet and is next to United General Hospital, opened this year to serve veterans until a permanent spot was found.
Although it will not be as close as Bellingham, local veterans who have long urged the VA to open a clinic in Whatcom County remained happy that veterans will be spared the drive to Seattle.
“We have a lot of veterans who can’t, or won’t, travel the 200 miles round trip,” said Mike Brenaman, 44, a veteran of the Gulf War and support officer with Disabled American Veterans.
“It’s a great day for the veterans. Of course, I prefer it be located in Bellingham,” said Jim Pace, a 57-year-old Vietnam War veteran living in Bellingham.
But Pace praised Murray and Larsen for their efforts and VA officials for including services like mental health and eye, ear and dental services in addition to providing primary care.
“This was more than I expected,” said Pace, who also is a senior service officer at the Bellingham Vet Center.
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