Hampton Roads veterans gaining more access to care as development of Chesapeake VA clinic begins
Development has commenced on a new clinic that aims to reduce drive times and provide specialty care for veterans.
“Sixty-eight percent of our veterans reside on the south side and this facility will increase our capabilities to better serve our Veterans with the care they deserve,” said Dr. Taquisa K. Simmons, Hampton VA Healthcare System executive director in a news release.
The VA released a study earlier this year about its nationwide health care system and found roughly 50,000 of the veterans served by the hospital must cross either the Monitor-Merrimac or Hampton Roads bridge-tunnels to get there.
The lease for the Chesapeake clinic allows for 196,000-square-feet of rentable space and over 1,000 parking spaces on Knells Ridge Boulevard. Completion is slated for next summer with opening in the fall, according to the U.S. General Services Administration.
Services will include primary care, advanced imaging services, mental health and eye clinics and specialty care that includes dental, lab, prosthetics and rehabilitation therapy among others.
The location was chosen by the GSA based on data “centered around” the highest veteran population, according to an email from a spokesperson for Hampton VA.
The VA study from earlier this year also forecast much larger growth in veteran populations in Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach compared with the Peninsula. The largest growth is expected in number of veterans living in Chesapeake is expected to grow by nearly 49% over the next 20 years while, while growing 34% in Portsmouth, 31% in Virginia Beach and 25% in Norfolk compared with 17% on the Peninsula.
“As the veteran population continues to grow in Hampton Roads, we need to make sure we have the facilities and capabilities to offer the highest level of care,” Sen. Mark Warner said in a news release.
PH LLC, doing business as The Molasky Group of Companies, is the developer and the project has a subcontractor clause in construction with over 17% of subcontracting dollars to be for mall businesses awarded work, according to GSA documents.
Ian Munro, ian.munro@virginiamedia.com, 757-861-3369
