WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — The Carl Vinson VA Medical Center and leaders on Robins Air Force Base are preparing to open a new clinic for veterans. 13WMAZ spoke to the Robins medical commander to learn how this clinic will relieve stress from another clinic in Houston County.
The outpatient clinic on Robins Air Force base is scheduled to be open by March. Veterans we spoke to say they are happy to see this new resource coming to the community.
"A typical day is trying to figure out how to help somebody," Patricia Ross, Air Force veteran and Chief Operation Officer of the Georgia Veterans Education Career Transition Resource Center, or VECTR, said.
At VECTR, it's not uncommon to find a vet looking for advice.
"In one place, you can pretty much get all of your needs taken care of," Ross said.
Now, veterans like Patricia Ross are getting ready for another new resource in Houston County.
"I am so excited, I really am, so we started talking about bringing the Dublin VA and having an outpatient clinic on Robins when I was still on active duty," Ross said.
Currently, the Perry clinic is "struggling to meet the demand" from veterans, according to the Dublin VA. The VA hopes this new addition will relieve some of that stress.
"This portion of the building, we are going to take care of about 2,200 veterans, the VA is bringing their own patient center provider teams, who are going to provide primary care and mental health services to the veterans," Commander of the 78th Medical Group Maureen Farrell said.
Farrell says this expansion is consistent with her group's mission to support veterans.
"Houston County has a fast-growing population of veterans, and this will get them access to care closer as opposed to going to Dublin or Perry, and we also have many veterans employees here at Robins Air Force Base," Farrell said.
According to a press release, There are plans in the works right now to open up a clinic that will accommodate more veterans in Houston County, but that is at least three years away from being done.
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