Work continues on the new Veterans Outreach Clinic on Summerhill Road. According to officials with M.L. James Construction, they have faced considerable weather delays.
"We lost two weeks to the ice storm alone recently," he said. "That one shut us down."
Despite that, they expect the clinic to be ready by August or September.
The new clinic - boasting 21,000 square feet - will feature almost twice as much space as that of the current facility on Realtor Road. The new clinic will have room for primary care patient rooms as well as women's health care. In addition, there will be expanded mental health services, audiology services, an optometry shop, lab spaces, basic X-ray/radiology capability. Physical therapy will also be available on site.
As reported in a previous edition of the Texarkana Gazette, the Veterans Administration is spending just over $4 million to construct the facility. According to officials, there are about 5,000 local veterans registered for medical service at the current clinic. They hope to add as many as 1,000 more to the roster by the time the clinic opens.