Veterans Affairs clinic opens in Tifton

TIFTON — The Tift County public lined up outside the doors to welcome a highly-anticipated Veterans Affairs clinic, located at 1824 Ridge Ave. North in Tifton, at a grand opening ceremony Wednesday afternoon.

The event included tours of the clinic, information on VA services and remarks from speakers, including Georgia Department of Veterans Service Commissioner Mike Roby. There was also an appearance by U.S. Rep. Austin Scott, R-Tifton.

“It has been a long, hard road to get here, but the future is bright in Tifton,” Roby said.

The clinic has been in the works for some time. Officials with the Carl Vinson VA Medical Center, parent facility to the clinic, said ahead of the opening that veterans, government officials and supporters were welcoming and offered their help to make sure there was a positive start for the 5,000 people in the region likely to be served by the clinic.

Scott, who participated in the ribbon-cutting along with VA officials, said he was happy to see the clinic open so veterans could be taken care of in a quality manner closer to home.

“We want to improve more at a faster pace, and (there will be bipartisan cooperation) to make that happen,” he said.

Roby said following the grand opening ceremony that the clinic was badly needed, making it an important investment — but that more are still needed to meet the health care needs of Southwest Georgia veterans.

“(In the long-term) we hope it will grow, that it will serve more veterans. … We have to do a better job of meeting (veteran) needs,” he said.

Jack Stone was among the veterans instrumental in making the clinic a reality. He and other veterans fought for eight years to bring the clinic to life.

“This is something we have been needing for a long, long time,” he said. “We know it will be a good, good clinic. It is going to help everybody.”

Carl Vinson Medical Center Director Maryalice Morro said the clinic not only fills a gap for veterans who did not have a VA clinic within 40 miles to go to, but it also creates 52 new jobs for the Tifton area.

She said the community enthusiasm ahead of the opening was overwhelming, adding that — aside from health care and job creation — the community partnership that led to the clinic also resulted in the establishment of educational opportunities.

“Having the community working in concert with the VA to provide those opportunities is what it is all about,” Morro said. “We are thrilled about that support.”

The Carl Vinson center also oversees VA clinics in Albany, Brunswick, Macon, Milledgeville and Perry.

In June, an informational fair was held to allow stakeholders to learn more about the facility. Officials from the new clinic were also represented at the “Kick-off to Men’s Health” event last month hosted by Tift Regional Health System.

As part of the continuing effort to provide health care closer to where more veterans live, the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs announced in 2012 plans to open 13 new community-based outpatient clinics in nine states. Among those was the Tifton VA clinic.

Hours of operation for the Tifton clinic are 8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. Mondays-Fridays. Services include primary care, mental health and other basic health care services. Officials said additional services will be available through the use of Tele-Health, a new VA initiative allowing veterans to access some health care needs using interactive visual technology.

Veterans are advised to keep appointments already scheduled at other VA facilities until their care is transferred and an appointment is scheduled at the new clinic. Veterans not currently enrolled in VA health care may obtain an application form online at va.gov or visit the clinic to pick up an enrollment package.

Veterans also can call the 24-hour Nurse Triage number at 1-877-424-8212. For more information about the clinic, contact Clinic Manager Donna Ammons at [email protected].

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