The new community based outpatient clinic broke ground in Zephyrhills, Florida
Courtesy of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
PASCO COUNTY, Fla. – Veterans in East Pasco County, Florida will soon have access to a brand new 14,000 square foot VA clinic, replacing the existing 4,500 square foot community based outpatient clinic (CBOC).
A ground breaking ceremony took place in Zephyrhills, Florida on June 7, 2019 with community Veterans and advocates in attendance.
The former Mayor of Zephyrhills, Florida and now Executive Director of the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs, U.S. Army Reserve Captain Danny Burgess spoke at the event, noting that Zephyrhills was originally founded by an Union Army Captain as a civil war Veteran retirement community.
“As the State Department of Veterans Affairs, we appreciate our federal VA immensely, and look forward to working with the VA in any way possible,” Burgess said.
The existing Zephyrhills, Florida CBOC was established in April 2006, and then relocated into a newly constructed facility adjacent to the local Florida Hospital. Two years later in 2008, the clinic added a Mental Health Annex.
The new CBOC will be located less than a mile from the existing one, and will provide Primary Care, expanded Mental Health services, Podiatry, Physical Therapy, Women’s Health, Telehealth, and a anticoagulation pharmacy, with many additional exam rooms in the 14,000 square foot facility.
Tampa VA Medical Center’s Director Joe Battle said, “We are excited for this new clinic to provide additional services to Veterans in this community, versus going somewhere else.” Mr. Battle also mentioned this and other new clinics in the area compliments the newly implemented MISSION Act. “MISSION Act is positing us to put the Veteran at the center of their healthcare journey,” he said.
VA opened another CBOC in Riverview, Florida on May 21, 2019 and broke ground for a CBOC in New Port Richey, Florida on June 6. In addition, construction is currently underway at the Tampa VA Medical Center for a new bed-tower that will ensure all inpatients have private rooms. It will have 96 medical-surgical beds and 40 ICU beds and is expected to open by 2023.
VA has 1,241 Community Based Outpatient Sites and Clinics across the country.