By rssfeeds-admin 
The West Texas Veteran’s Affairs (VA) is establishing its new community-based outpatient clinic here in Abilene.
Local veterans, VA and city leaders, and others attended the ceremony, where speeches were given about what this new clinic means for Big Country veterans. In 2024, the West Texas Veteran’s Affairs Health Care System (WTVAHCS) announced it recently signed a lease for the building that will be the new Abilene VA health clinic at 5602 Health Center Drive.
Luke Orander with The Avens Group is the real estate developer in charge of building the new VA clinic in Abilene. Orander told KTAB/KRBC he is happy to say the facility will be ready to welcome in veterans in early 2026. The building in the new location on Health Center Drive was already a medical facility. This makes it even easier to construct the new clinic.
“It’s always exciting when you see a Vietnam veteran or a Korean War veteran walk through and get excited about the care that they deserve. A ground-up building – you just start from scratch and go to an existing building – you’re going to save time and money,” explained Orander.
The current VA clinic in Abilene, located on Ridgemont Drive, is about 11,000 square feet, and the new location will be more than 35,000 square feet, tripling the amount of space. Robert Hoff, Acting Medical Center Director of West Texas VA Health Care System, said this expansion directly responds to the growing demand for veteran services in the region.
“Expanded services. . .we’re going to have radiology for faster diagnostics, we’re going to have dental services – a much a critical need in the local community,” added Hoff.
The WTVAHCS’s new facility aims to improve healthcare accessibility for veterans by offering various services such as:
- Specialty Care Services: More comprehensive care through various specialties that address the specific needs of veterans.
- Advanced Radiology: On-site advanced imaging capabilities to aid in the timely and accurate diagnosis of health conditions.
- Enhanced Support Services: Increased access to mental health counseling, physical therapy, and more services.
Jack Meredith is a Vietnam War veteran living in Abilene and is happy to see the changes coming, as many veterans often have to drive to other cities for care.
“A lot of times you’ll have to drive to Big Spring or somewhere like that for care. When I lived in Ohio, we used to have to drive 100 miles to the VA hospital for outpatient surgeries and things of that nature. I was interested in seeing what the veterans will be able to accomplish here in West Texas. I’m just very happy that the VA decided to build something here – that it’s going to be a great place for our local veterans,” added Meredith.
Sr. Vice Commander of the Abilene VFW Post 6873 Mackie Crossan reminds veterans that assistance is available for those who haven’t inquired about VA health care.
“We’ve got the American legion that’s here, we’ve got the VFW center here. Any one of these associations will help any veterans that we got, and we’re here for you. It’ll be such an expansion. We take care of more people than we’ve ever been able to take care of before,” explained Crossan.
Discover more from RSS Feeds Cloud
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.