New outpatient VA facility coming to Hampton Roads

CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) — There’s a new VA clinic coming to Hampton Roads.

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced that it has selected a location for a new Southside outpatient clinic for veterans in the area. 

The 196,000-square-foot outpatient facility is slated to be constructed on a 25-acre parcel of land on the Chesapeake Regional Hospital campus. It will be along Knells Ridge Boulevard, behind the W. Stanley Jennings Outpatient Center, to The Molasky Group of Companies.

“Chesapeake is fast becoming the hub of Hampton Roads,” said Reese Jackson, president and CEO of Chesapeake Regional Healthcare. “And Chesapeake Regional Medical Center is evolving and becoming a major tertiary hospital, providing greater choice and access for south Hampton Roads’ citizens. Providing such valuable acreage is a noteworthy commitment to Veterans and I look forward to meaningful collaboration with all parties to benefit the health and welfare of local veterans who have sacrificed for our nation.”

The new facility is part of a bipartisan effort to approve 28 overdue Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical facility leases across the country.

Officials say it will help improve veterans’ access to outpatient services such as primary care, mental health and eye clinic services, as well as new specialty care and advanced imaging services.

It’s expected to reduce drive times for many veterans as well.

“This new outpatient facility is long-overdue in a region with one of the fastest-growing veterans populations in the country, and where veterans often battle traffic and long wait times to access the care they’ve earned,” said U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, who was one of 15 senators who urged the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs to authorize leases as early as 2016.

The veteran population in Virginia is expected to grow more than two percent over the next several years while enrollees at the Hampton VA are predicted to rise approximately 16% within the same timeframe.

Construction is expected to start in 2022 with completion slated for spring 2024.

The facility will open to the public in fall 2024.

“Team Hampton has worked diligently to improve access for our rapidly growing Veteran population. We are excited to announce the site selection of Hampton VA Healthcare System’s newest Healthcare Center in Chesapeake, VA. It will greatly improve access to care for Veterans and we look forward to extending our world class quality care to America’s heroes in this new location. In addition, the Center will decrease Veterans drive times, thereby improving their overall satisfaction,” said Dr. Taquisa K. Simmons, executive director of the Hampton VA Healthcare System.