Georgetown veterans clinic treats growing population

A new Veterans Administration clinic is on schedule to open in 2017, bringing improved behavioral and primary care services to Sussex County veterans.

In April, officials broke ground for the Sussex County Community Based Outpatient Clinic and work is proceeding on schedule.

“We’re very excited about that moving forward,” said Robin C. Aube-Warren, director of the Wilmington VA Medical Center that oversees the Georgetown clinic. “Rain had delayed the project, buy they’re back on track.”

The clinic is expected to open by January 2017, according to a press release.

The new facility at 21748 Roth Ave. will provide 10,000 square feet of space – room for about 20 more average-sized exam rooms than the current clinic offers.

The goal is for same-day access to behavioral health and primary care – a goal VA officials said they are working to meet at all clinics by the end of 2016.

On July 18, VA officials discussed ways they are improving treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder among veterans.

Aube-Warren said there are 3,313 Sussex County veterans enrolled in behavioral and primary care services offered by the VA. Of those, she said 10 percent, or about 330, have PTSD.

The National Institutes of Health estimates 31 percent of Vietnam veterans nationally suffer from PTSD.

Numbers drop for veterans of recent wars who suffer from PTSD: about 10 percent for the Gulf War, 11 percent for Afghanistan and 20 percent for Iraq.

In the past two years, Aube-Warren said, the veteran community has increased 12 percent in Sussex County. Most served during the Vietnam era, she said, and they are retiring to the beach-community area. Aube-Warren said she expects the number of veterans relocating to Sussex County will continue to increase. “It's a nice area to retire,” Aube-Warren said.