District 3 U.S. Rep. Sam Johnson, R-Plano, recently announced that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has approved a specialty clinic to be built in conjunction with the VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic in Plano. The outpatient clinic will be located in an existing building at 3804 W. 15^th St. and is expected to open this spring, according to Johnson’s office.

“This new specialty clinic will further help our veterans receive specialized care closer to home,” Johnson said in a news release. “With these two clinics, our hometown heroes will be able to receive high-quality health care that best meets their needs.  This is another huge win for North Texas and I look forward to sharing updates with our community as the process moves along.”

It has not yet been determined exactly what types of specialty services will be provided at the new clinic, but the VA will conduct a review of the area’s veteran population to determine what services will best meet the needs of North Texas, said Adrienne Rimmer, communications director for Johnson's office. Services may include physical therapy and rehabilitative services, additional mental health and primary care teams, radiology and other specialties, she said.

A site survey will be conducted within the vicinity of the CBOC to determine the best location to build the new specialty clinic. The 10,000-square-foot outpatient clinic will be equipped to serve approximately 6,000 veterans per year and will provide primary care, mental health, telemedicine, laboratory and X-ray services. Additional details regarding the annual number of veterans to be served, number of employees, and opening date will be forthcoming as the project moves forward, according to Rimmer.

Earlier this month, District 67 state Rep. Jeff Leach, R-Plano, visited the Veterans Center of North Texas to Plano, which opened in September. Located at 900 E. Park Blvd., the nonprofit resource center is ran by veterans and serves the more than 167,000 veterans currently living across six counties in North Texas as well as more than 200 veterans service organizations in the area, Leach said. The center works to connect veterans, returning service members and their families with an assortment of service providers related to healthcare, finances, education, employment, housing and benefits.

“During our visit we discussed an assortment of issues that impact our veteran's community, including transportation, jobs, education and employment, among other things,” Leach said. “Looking ahead, I look forward to partnering with these dedicated community volunteers as we prepare for the 85th Legislative Session.”

For information about the Veterans Center of North Texas, visit www.vcont.org.