Veterans in Cedar Rapids who need care won't have to travel anymore.

Plans were announced to open a new, state-of-the-art VA clinic in Southwest Cedar Rapids next summer. It's moving in at 3500 Dalton Way SW.  It has been temporarily leasing space on the top floor of the former Von Maur store on the Westdale Mall property. It could be open by this time next year, sometime next summer at the very least.

The expanded clinic will allow for more staff and services, specific to the 5,000 veterans in Cedar Rapids. They can't release early layouts of the design they are working on for the 30,000 square-ft. building but they expect it to be very similar to the recently opened Davenport clinic.

Those 5,000 veterans will notice the benefits of this clinic's closer proximity immediately.

Every community clinic will have unique considerations,” said program specialist Gene Peterson. “We’re close to Iowa City, so it doesn’t make a lot of sense for us to have an optometry clinic. But Decorah does have that capability. It all depends on where (a) clinic is located and specific needs of the clinic’s patient

Our veterans deserve the best and most specilaized care they can get, so we're proud to see this project in the works.

[Via Gazette]

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