McMinn County: Plans on track for VA clinic

ATHENS, Tenn. — A clinic for area veterans should open in McMinn County within a year, federal officials said this week.

Chris Conklin, spokesman for the Alvin C. York Veterans Medical Center in Murfreesboro, Tenn., said the Department of Veterans Affairs expects to put out a request for proposals within 60 days.

The community-based clinics are part of a national plan to expand access to health care for veterans. Other clinics are planned for Giles, Maury and Roane counties. According to VA information, the clinics will have onsite primary care staff along with video consultation capability with specialists at regional VA hospitals.

McMinn County Veteran Affairs Officer Tom Greene said the clinic will be “a godsend” to the area.

Veterans groups and local officials throughout the region have pressed for years for additional clinics and veterans nursing homes. Tennessee and North Georgia veterans now depend on the Chattanooga outpatient clinic and VA hospitals in Murfreesboro and Nashville.

Bob Cagle, commander of Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 5146 in Athens, said many veterans have been wondering about the progress on the clinic, and are happy to know plans are moving ahead.

“A lot of the older fellas do not have a way to get to Chattanooga,” he said.

Veteran Butch Moses said he goes to an Athens physician because the trip to Chattanooga’s VA outpatient clinic is too taxing. Mr. Moses said he will “definitely use the clinic” once it is operating.

The VA will ask for proposals from contractors, VA Contracting Officer Susan Nicholson said.

“We are not building clinics, we are looking for contractors to build clinics,” Ms. Nicholson said. “What we are looking for are vendors who say we have what you want.”

She said planning and solicitation could take six to eight months before a contract is awarded. The winning bidder will have to find a location and establish the clinic.

Retired Air Force veteran Ken Thomas said he’d rather go to a VA-owned and -staffed clinic.

“I’ll tell you one thing, I’ve been all over and whenever they use a contract, I don’t necessarily like them,” Mr. Thomas said. He said VA clinics are “operated by people who work for the VA and really want to take care of veterans.”

He said the test will come after the clinic opens.

But retired Marine Johnny Rivera welcomes the clinic, since he has to travel twice a month to Chattanooga.

“It will be great because of time and convenience,” Mr. Rivera said.