New Clinic for Veterans Scheduled to Open in Hall County

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Veterans who live in Northeast Georgia will soon receive some services closer to home. A new U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic is expected to open in Hall County in June.

The current Oakwood facility opened in 2000. Since then, the number of veterans needing care at clinic has surged to 5,400. David Peters is project manager for the VA in Atlanta.

“We have patients waiting to be seen at Oakwood. Currently they’re being treated in places like Austell and Lawrenceville while they’re waiting to be seen.”

But Peters says the new Oakwood clinic is expected to serve about 6,600 veterans who will likely wait in fewer lines because the space is more efficient. It will also offer new specialty services such as dental and eye care. Currently, veterans who are eligible for those services have to travel to the Atlanta Medical Center in Decatur.

“Bottom line it’s going to save them a lot of time and a lot of aggravation, because they won’t be waiting in lines and driving back and forth.”

Peters says the new center will also include more staff and an increased number of mental health providers.