$64M VA health clinic opens in Portland
Courtesy / Jason Carter, VA Maine Healthcare System
VA Maine Healthcare System’s new Portland VA Clinic was dedicated in a ribbon-cutting, at 141 West Commercial St.
Expanded services and a state-of-the-art, energy-efficient facility are the core of a new U.S. Veterans Affairs health clinic opening in Portland on Monday.
The $64 million outpatient clinic will serve more than 100,000 eligible Maine veterans, according to a news release.
VA Maine Healthcare System’s Portland VA Clinic was officially dedicated Friday in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its new location, 141 West Commercial St.
The clinic will replace and consolidate existing community-based outpatient services in Portland and Saco, without disruption of care to veterans during the transition, the VA said.
The 62,500-square-foot facility provides primary care, telemedicine, mental health care services, blood drawing and specialty services. New services include podiatry, surgical consultation, dental, optometry, radiology and prosthetics.
The new outpatient clinic will also serve as a teaching site with space dedicated to enhancing affiliate relationships with Maine Medical Center and with Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston.
Model for future clinics
Plans for the clinic began in 2010 to address the need for expanded access for southern Maine veterans.
At the ribbon-cutting, Department of Veterans Affairs Deputy Secretary Donald Remy said the new Portland clinic is about more than just expanded access for veterans.
“It is a model for clinics of the future,” Remy said. “It’s about opening a space where we will fulfill our obligation and serve vets as well as they’ve served us.”
U.S. Rep. Chellie Pingree, D-Maine 1st District, who sits on the Military Construction-Veterans Affairs Appropriation Subcommittee, said the new facility was long-awaited and much-needed.
“I’m proud to have leadership opportunities in Congress that allow me to advocate for our veterans, and for funding that supports veterans’ care,” she said.
The project has been part of VA Maine’s plan for a large-scale replacement lease to increase capacity and services for veterans in southern Maine.
The VA worked with FDS JBB Portland LLC, the awarded contractor, on site selection and design completion.
The new location includes a 250-space parking garage dedicated to veterans and a 150-space surface parking lot for staff.
Roger Lowell, a U.S. Air Force veteran, toured the clinic while it was in its final stages of completion.
“I’m certainly very proud of the VA System and this new establishment they have here,” he said.
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