MOUNT VERNON — It likely won’t open until early next summer, but the Department of Veterans Affairs has found a permanent location for its northwest regional outpatient clinic.
Veterans who live in north Snohomish County currently don’t have to battle Seattle traffic to obtain outpatient health care, but they do have to drive to Sedro-Woolley, where an interim clinic has operated since May. Before that, they faced the long drive to the VA clinic in Seattle.
At a ceremony set for 1 p.m. today, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and Rep. Rick Larsen, both D-Wash., plan to announce a permanent home for the Northwest VA Outpatient Clinic. The clinic is to be in the Mount Vernon Medical Building near Skagit Valley Hospital. The announcement is scheduled to take place at the medical building, 307 S. 13th St. in Mount Vernon.
Murray and Larsen have long sought a clinic to serve veterans in the northwest corner of the state, including those from north Snohomish, Island, Skagit, Island and Whatcom counties.
Murray has said that veterans who have fought for their country shouldn’t have to fight for access to the health care they deserve at home.
A mobile VA clinic opened in February in the parking lot of Skagit Valley Hospital and then moved in May to an interim location near United General Hospital in Sedro-Woolley. Services are being provided there until the permanent clinic opens in Mount Vernon.
In addition to primary care services, the clinic eventually is set to support mental health, social work, pharmacy, ear, X-ray and dental services to more than 6,500 veterans.
Reporter Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427 or gfiege@heraldnet.com.
Interim VA clinic in Sedro-Woolley
The interim Northwest VA Outpatient Clinic is in the Cedar Grove Clinic, Building B, 2031-C Hospital Drive, just off Highway 20 in Sedro-Woolley. Services are offered from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. To obtain care, enrolled veterans need to call 206-764-2547.
Veterans who are not currently enrolled in the VA system can call 800-329-8387, ext. 76542, or go to www.va.gov.
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