New Crawford Co. VA clinic opens in Meadville

Meadville, PA ( WJET/WFXP )– Thousands of veterans in Crawford County have a new hub for health care needs and specialized services.

The Erie VA Medical Center has completed construction of a new clinic in Crawford County and it’s now taking patients.

The Erie VA broke ground in Meadville in the 11000 block of Perry Highway in September of last year, and after 11 months, it’s become a modernized center for veterans resources.

Construction of a more than 15,000-square-foot medical facility was capped off by a ribbon cutting Thursday afternoon.

The VA operated out of a much smaller clinic in Crawford County before this around 6,000 square feet.

“In the other building we were very crunched for space, so we were doing a lot of space sharing. This allows the staff to be able to spread out and do their job more efficiently, get patients in and out quicker while providing efficient care,” said Shania Wolbert, manager of the Crawford County VA Clinic.

The facility will be split in half, one side functions as primary care and the other provides specialty services.

Some of those specializations include cardiology, podiatry, endocrinology, oncology, and orthopedics. Not to mention available telehealth and behavioral health options.

The Erie VA’s director said this is all part of a larger plan to modernize veterans clinics surrounding the Erie area.

“Not only do we have the main facility on campus on 38th Street, but we have five outpatient clinics. We’ve already modernized the McKean Clinic in McKean County, we’ve gone to Venango and that’s modern. Crawford was completed today with a ribbon cutting, and we’ll be next going to Ashtabula, Ohio and ultimately Warren, PA,” said John Gennaro, medical center director for the Erie VA.

The VA serves more than 2,500 veterans in Crawford County many of them saying this will be a huge help for them and their medical journey.

“I have heart troubles and the VA has been really good to me. They send me my pills right on time, and if I have to go to Erie or Pittsburgh, the van comes out and picks me up. I really appreciate that,” said Fred Stewart, a veteran from Linesville, PA. “The VA is a great thing for people and veterans.”

The new clinic is up and running for people to schedule appointments, and with an increased workforce, the wait for appointments should shorten as well.

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