Veterans in Westmoreland County will have a new, larger outpatient medical clinic to serve them by 2026.
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs confirmed Thursday a new 33,000-square-foot facility will replace what officials said is an outdated, smaller clinic that opened in 2007 behind Westmoreland Mall in Hempfield. A location for the new clinic has yet to be determined.
“Everything is on the table. We want to see a location that best serves the majority of the county,” said Don Koenig, executive director of VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System. “It could be a current health care facility or just a piece of land to build on.”
The federal agency that oversees health care for veterans began the process this week to seek proposals to replace the existing 14,000-square-foot clinic that is now operated by a private company. Koenig said proposals are due to Veterans Affairs by June 21 and a decision on the new location could be announced before the end of the year.
Officials are targeting 2026 for an opening date.
The Westmoreland clinic sees as many patients as the hospital in Aspinwall, said Matt Zamosky, director of Westmoreland County’s Veterans Affairs Office
“Our clinic has been in dire need for an increase in size for a long time,” he said.
Zamosky estimated about 25,000 veterans live in the county.
Veterans who require medical services can receive some outpatient services at the Hempfield site, but a wider array of treatment options is available in Pittsburgh or at a new outpatient clinic that opened last year in Monroeville. That two-story, 64,000-square-foot facility cost $92 million to build on property behind Monroeville Mall.
Koenig said Westmoreland’s updated facility will offer many of the same services, including space for specialties such as audiology, chiropractic care, acupuncture, physical therapy and an infusion room for chemotherapy treatments.
The facility also is expected to contain exam rooms for other rotating specialties as well as office space for veterans benefits administrators.
Veterans Affairs will operate the new facility, which will be built and leased to the federal agency by a private developer that will oversee the construction. Valor Healthcare employs a staff of about 50 at the Hempfield clinic.
The site of the new facility could be anywhere in the county but is expected to be in a central location where a majority of the population resides, officials said.
“I expect it will be Greensburg-adjacent, and this is certainly something that is needed. This means our veterans won’t have to travel as much to Pittsburgh for services. Given the age of veterans in Pennsylvania, who have an average age of 68, it should provide much better services than we currently have,” Zamosky said.
Westmoreland is the final veterans clinic in the Pittsburgh region to be upgraded. Other regional facilities, such as those based in Fayette, Washington and Beaver counties, already have been updated and rebuilt.
“We are thrilled we can finally do this in Westmoreland County. The facilities in the other counties were older and in worse shape,” Koenig said.
Westmoreland officials said they welcome the project but have had little input on its planning.
“The VA advancing a Westmoreland facility has been on the table for too long. We need the feds to see this through and prioritize veterans in Westmoreland County,” said Commissioner Doug Chew.
Commissioner Ted Kopas said the project is needed.
“This is wonderful news and recognizes the significant veteran population in Westmoreland County. Our veterans deserve the highest level of care. This will be an awesome addition,” Kopas said.
Rich Cholodofsky is a TribLive reporter covering Westmoreland County government, politics and courts. He can be reached at rcholodofsky@triblive.com.