What to know about new Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic in Oconomowoc for veterans outside Milwaukee

Construction is underway on a new Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic in Oconomowoc that will serve veterans in Milwaukee’s outlying suburbs, in the hopes of cutting travel times for veterans that might prevent them from seeking health care.

The Milwaukee VA and developer Wangard Partners, Inc., held a groundbreaking ceremony last week at the construction site of what will be the fifth VA outpatient clinic within the Milwaukee-based VA health system.

Here’s what to know about the new clinic.

Where will the new VA outpatient clinic be located?

The new 8,500-square-foot VA facility will be located at 1289 Olympia Fields Drive, just off Highway 67, in Oconomowoc.

When will the new VA clinic open?

The clinic is expected to open by the end of the year.

Who will the new VA outpatient clinic serve?

There are more than 10,000 veterans living in the area, and about 5,500 of them are eligible for VA care, according to Milwaukee VA Medical Center Executive Director Jim McLain.

What services will be offered at the new VA outpatient clinic?

The clinic will offer primary care and wellness, women’s health, mental health services, Milwaukee VA Medical Center Executive Director Jim McLain said.

Why is the VA building a new outpatient clinic in Oconomowoc?

The clinic will expand access to care to veterans living in the western suburbs of Milwaukee, including Waukesha County.

McLain said the VA looked at service gaps and found that veterans living in the western suburbs face barriers to care because of travel distances and lack of transportation.

“The veterans who were here were located too far away from Madison and too far away from Milwaukee. For some of the veterans who had challenges with transportation, that was a big deal,” he said. “By placing a community-based outpatient clinic here, we address that. We get the services closer to the veterans.”

How many other locations does the VA have in the area?

The clinic will be the fifth outpatient clinic within the Zablocki VA Health Care System, based in Milwaukee. The other clinics are located in Appleton, Green Bay, Union Grove and the village of Cleveland in Manitowoc County.

The system’s main campus as well as inpatient and other outpatient treatment programs are headquartered in Milwaukee.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What to know about new Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic in Oconomowoc