The VA says there was a demonstrated need for a clinic in Wayne County. | Shutterstock
The VA says there was a demonstrated need for a clinic in Wayne County. | Shutterstock
Construction of the new U.S. Veterans Administration (VA) clinic in Canton Township is still on schedule for a summer 2021 opening, despite the shortages and supply chain problems created by restrictions related to COVID-19.
Not only have there been no delays, at times the project has even been running ahead of schedule, according to reporting by Hometown Life.
"Earth work has started, and the foundation work has started. Steel will be onsite toward the end of September,” VA spokesperson Brian Hayes said, according to Hometown Life. “Steel erection will start after that, so you'll start seeing a structure going up soon."
The site for the new clinic was chosen in part because of a demonstrated need for veteran care in Wayne County. It’s estimated by the VA that 12,000 to 14,000 veterans will make use of the clinic’s services each year.
Once the facility is completed, local veterans will no longer have to travel to Detroit or Ann Arbor for care.
"The feedback we've received from veterans on this has been astonishing," Hayes said, according to Hometown Life. "And it's been nothing but positive. The traffic this news has generated on our social-networking sites has far exceeded anything we've shared in the past two years."
Services offered at the Canton Township facility will include primary care, mental health, laboratory and pathology, and imaging. The facility will also have a full implementation of the Patient-Aligned Care Team model of care delivery.
Medical Center Director Dr. Ginny Creasman said that she is pleased to see the project, in planning since 2014, finally coming to fruition.
“Getting a new clinic... is a big deal and involves a lot of stakeholders,” she told Hometown Life. “So we’re honored to be able to get this done and bring our services closer to home for so many of our veterans."
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