Grand Opening Ceremony for Effingham Community Based Outpatient Clinic Sept. 16

The Marion VA Medical Center will celebrate the grand opening of its new facility located at 1011 Ford Avenue, Effingham Wednesday, September 16. The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m., followed by a tour of the new facility.

They will soon be offering veterans an updated, more spacious clinic measuring almost 10,000 square feet, which is approximately a 56% increase in space over the current location. This expansion aligns with the 2% veteran growth seen in the Effingham area. In FY13, the Effingham VA clinic was serving 2,879 Veteran patients and as of today has 2,995 Veterans receiving care.

In addition to an increase in space, the new location will give access to two large Video-Teleconference units and two smaller units which will bring Tele-Health services to veterans in the Effingham area. This service will connect veterans with more providers near and far, allowing for improved access. Along with these technological updates, Tele-health services will now be available all day with a designated LPN, trained in tele-retinal services.

Another important update in this facility is the centralization of services. In the new space, the primary care staff support will be located in primary care pods to better meet the patient needs, facilitate communication between the services, and act as more of a one stop shop. The lab will be located near the front of the building for easier veteran access.

The Grand Opening celebration will occur before patients will be seen at the new space at 1011 Ford Avenue, ensuring minimal impact and interruptions to patient care. Business at the current space will conclude Friday, Sept 18. The new Effingham VA Clinic located at 1011 Ford Avenue will see walk-ins Monday, Sept. 21 and regularly scheduled patients starting Tuesday, Sept. 22.

For more information, contact Beth Lamb in the Marion VA Public Affairs office at 618-997-8241, via cell at 618-964-5588 or email beth.lamb@va.gov.