The Department of Veterans Affairs announced today that Eugene has been selected as the site for a new Community Based Outpatient Clinic for veterans. The site for the new clinic is located at the northwest corner of Chad Drive and Old Coburg Road and the facility is scheduled to open in the spring of 2015. The clinic will offer ambulatory surgery, primary care, mental health, pharmacy and ancillary services that will provide a continuum of care for veterans.
In addition to providing much needed services for veterans, the new clinic supports local economic development strategies focused on job creation and retention and highlights the economic tie between Eugene and Springfield as a regional hub for health and wellness services.
The new clinic also supports Eugene’s long standing commitment to honoring and serving veterans. The City works in partnership with area nonprofit organizations to address housing and social service needs of veterans in the community including programs like VetLift which provides affordable housing to homeless veterans diagnosed with substance abuse or mental health issues and the recent Veterans’ Housing Project which helps provide affordable housing military men and women as they transition back into the community after deployment.
“We are thrilled the new veterans’ clinic will be located in Eugene,” noted Mayor Kitty Piercy. “It will ensure that the men and women who so bravely served our country will receive the quality healthcare they deserve. It’s location in the heart of the Willamette Valley and near I-5 will make state-of-the-art health care available as quickly as possible for current and future veterans.”
George Poling, City Council President and Councilor for Ward 4 where the clinic will be located added, “I couldn’t be more pleased to welcome the VA clinic to the City of Eugene and the entire Lane County Community. This new hospital means the medical needs of our local veterans, the men and women who put their lives on the line for our freedom, will be met right here at home. The VA’s decision to locate in Eugene will also enhance our tax base and put a lot of people back to work. This is a win for Eugene and an honor for our veterans.”
The new clinic will replace two smaller existing VA facilities located on River Road and River Avenue in Eugene. According to the US Census Bureau’s North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), a clinic of the size proposed (99,896 square feet) has the potential to create as many as 250 jobs.