Carper and Coons join veterans to reveal new Dover VA clinic
On Veterans Day Nov. 11, U.S. Sens. Tom Carper and Chris Coons, along with leadership from Wilmington Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Gen. Frank Vavala, former adjutant general of Delaware, highlighted the new Kent County community-based outpatient clinic which will better serve downstate veterans after it opens later this year.
The new facility in the former Blue Hen Mall at 655 S. Bay Road in Dover will increase the clinic space from its current size of 9,000 square feet to more than 29,000 square feet. The additional space will allow for the expansion of services such as primary care, behavioral health, specialty services and telehealth.
“On Veterans Day we honor the men and women who volunteered to serve our country,” said Vince Kane, director, Wilmington VA medical center. “In any other year, we would be holding big celebrations commemorating their service. But this year, we had to scale back, yet still find a way to show our appreciation, which is why we chose to hold this event at the new clinic in Dover. In VA it is our mission to put veterans first in everything we do and provide them with exceptional health. It is our privilege to meet the healthcare needs and challenges veterans face. This clinic will be an example of that commitment.”
“As a 23-year veteran of the Navy, I am so proud of this new clinic, and how we are giving back to our veterans,” said Carper. “With expanded services and more space, this beautiful new clinic will be a relief to so many veterans who will now be able to get more of their services closer to home, rather than have to drive up to Wilmington. We have a sacred duty to care for those who have sacrificed so much and served this country. Ensuring that they can easily access high-quality healthcare services like those that will be provided at the Dover CBOC is one important way that we can keep our promises to our veterans.”
“We have a sacred obligation to the veterans who made America,” said Coons. “And today, this expansion of services is an important way that we deliver on that promise. This new community-based outpatient clinic is absolutely critical to providing the services that veterans deserve, in a way they can access. As an appropriator, I try hard every year to make sure that we are fully funding the needs of veterans. We have just released the latest annual appropriations vehicle, which will add $10.8 billion to veteran services and outreach and designate $12.5 billion to emergency services.”
The new clinic will include 18 primary care exam rooms, 12 mental health rooms, five specialty exam rooms, three women’s health rooms, optometry rooms, an audiology suite, phlebotomy lab, procedure rooms, telehealth rooms, conference/group meeting rooms, staging area for home-based primary care, physical medicine and rehabilitation suite, offices for care coordinators, and requisite waiting, check-in, storage and medication rooms.
Services to be provided at the new center include primary care, comprehensive women's health, behavioral health, social work, lab, phlebotomy, specialty exams, audiology, otometry, radiology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, telehealth including teleretinal and teledermatology, pharmacy, nutrition, specialty procedures, homeless services, veteran service officer office and vet center office space.
