Superior VA clinic to begin expansion this week

The largest Veterans Administration outpatient clinic in northwestern Wisconsin is going to get even bigger, starting this week. It’s gearing up to serve the growing number of veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq.  
 
VA public affairs officer Ralph Huessner says this $2.6 million year-long project shows the commitment the VA has for the increasing number of northern Wisconsin and northern Minnesota veterans who use the Superior clinic, “We’ve been there for 22 years. We’re proud to say it was one of the first outpatient clinics in the VA system. The contract is for five years with renewals up to 20.   So, our message that we’d like to get out is: ‘The VA is here to stay’.”
 
In just the past year, the clinic has seen a surge of 600 veterans, more than a 10% increase to 5800-plus total patients. Veteran’s activist Durbin Keeney of Duluth expects that number of new vets, mostly from Iraq and Afghanistan wars, to triple once the expansion finishes. He says it’s important that these people seek help, “And they’re smart if they do. I mean, if they’re a guard member, they’ve got five years to get in the medical system or they’re screwed. And if they don’t do that, it’s their fault.”    
 
The renovation will mean an expansion of services for vets including diabetic, cardiology and pulmonary care. Clinics in Hayward, Rice Lake and Superior serve 18 counties in far northern Wisconsin.