KULR: Tester Announces VA Clinic Expansion
BILLINGS – The Billings VA Clinic will see expanded services and at least 70 new jobs in the coming years. “It’s exciting, it’s going to be a great relief for the veterans and their families,” Disabled American Veterans officer Jim Kerr said.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs approved Phase Two of the clinic’s construction. “It’s going to be good for the Billings area and it’s even going to be better for the veterans that utilize this facility and be able to take advantage of more complete healthcare here, more of a one-stop shop,” Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) said. Just off a plane from D.C., Senator Tester made the announcement Friday at the clinic to a cheering audience.
Veterans in central and eastern Montana have to travel to Helena for special services like surgery, but when the construction is done, they can have them done here. “Right now, if there’s any surgery that has to be done, we have to haul them four hours in a van to Helena, they have the surgery, and four hours back. We would like to see that happen here where they don’t have to travel so far,” Kerr said.
The expanded facility will allow better service for those vets in rural areas. “They’ll be able to cut 5 or 6 hours off a trip that would normally probably take most of the day,” Tester said.
