According to the Montana VA, veterans make up over 10 percent of Ravalli County’s total population.
Montana VA Executive Director Duane Gill says Hamilton’s previous clinic could not keep pace with the health care demands.
“So, it kind of had lived its life and it was time obviously for a much, much bigger clinic."
At 8,000 square feet, Hamilton’s brand new, eleven million dollar clinic on North 1st Street is 600 percent larger than the old facility.
Hamilton veteran Andrew Poff recently toured the new clinic and walked away impressed. Poff tells MTPR its big parking lot is a huge improvement and makes a great first impression. The former U.S. Army Cavalry Scout says the clinic itself is beautiful.
There’s a lot more room. There’s more seating. It’s open and pretty spacious,” Poff says.
The new clinic will offer services including primary care, women’s health, outpatient mental health care, lab and telehealth services. New to the lineup is physical therapy every Tuesday and Thursday. That’s a big relief to Poff who says valley veterans needing PT treatments through the VA, currently have to travel out of town.
Montana VA Executive Director Duane Gill says recent news reports of Trump Administration plans to cut tens of thousands of Department of Veterans Affairs employees will have no impact on veteran health care.
“The Secretary has been pretty clear on this — there’s going to be no cuts to services,” Gill says.
The Trump administration says the cuts are needed for efficiency in an agency that is sometimes criticized for lengthy delays in health care. Last year, an inspector general found the VA to be understaffed.
The grand opening ceremony for Hamilton’s new VA Clinic begins at 10 a.m. Friday.
