POTTSVILLE -- Veterans seeking medical care from the VA now have a new clinic to go to in Pottsville, and veterans in the area are happy to hear the news.
"Many of them are in much need, and the help will be of great help for them," Marine veteran Ted Kirby said.
The new building is on Laurel Boulevard in Pottsville. It replaces the two previous VA clinics that were open in Schuylkill County. One was in Frackville. The other at another location in Pottsville.
"We have a brand new, state-of-the-art space," Lebanon VA Community Clinics Manager Katie Reesor said. "There is a lot of room in this clinic."
The new VA clinic is nearly 9,000 square feet, and it's twice the size as the last two that were in Schuylkill County. The new building has eight exam rooms. Two of which are dedicated to providing medical care to female veterans. It also has four mental health consultation rooms along with telehealth rooms, which allow patients to video chat with doctors from outside of the county.
The clinic manager, Karen Bondura, said that these improvements will enhance their patients' experience at the VA.
"Each veteran will have a team to care for them," Bondura said. "Just the space, it's much bigger. We're able to provide better services. I think the care will be better."
The next closest VA clinic for veterans in Pottsville is in Allentown. The closest full-service medical center is in Lebanon.