New VA clinic to help 4,000 Veterans
A new building opened in South Jordan, but unlike restaurants or retail stores, this one’s designed to save lives.
Providing the foundational services of primary care and audiology, the South Jordan VA Clinic will help Veterans who live far from VA’s Salt Lake City campus access the services they need. The 38,000 square-foot state-of-the-art facility also will provide Veterans with access to much-needed mental health services and provide referrals for patients in need of specialty services, ensuring no need is left untreated, VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System Chief of Staff Karen Gribbin said.
Patients at the healthcare system have increased by nearly 40 percent over the last eight years. About 70,000 Veterans use its services – some as far away as Idaho and Nevada.
With South Jordan among the fastest-growing cities in Salt Lake County, the clinic, which opened in partnership with the University of Utah Health, will increase Veteran access to care in the busy area.
“We’ve seen tremendous growth in the Veteran population in this area and it was time to bring care closer to where our Veterans live.” Shella Stovall, Director, VA Salt Lake City Health Care System said. “The clinic provides a full range of primary care and behavioral health services to include Tele-Health, Tele-Mental Health, and VA Video Connect Services.”
South Jordan VA Clinic Virtual Tour
The new clinic will be able to serve up to 4,000 more Veterans, resulting in not only increased care, but a critical reduction in wait times, Gribbin said.
Complete with modern and welcome design, the building, located on the campus of the University of Utah’s South Jordan Health Center in Daybreak, wowed none other than U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert Wilkie, who toured it last week.
The clinic also will provide gynecology, nutrition, diabetic education, telehealth, and lab services. Well-aware of the needs of busy parents, when COVID-19 subsides, Veterans with an appointment at South Jordan Clinic will have access to childcare across the street at the University of Utah Health.
“This new facility’s going to be more than just a building of brick and steel. It’s going have a heart, filled with the lifeblood of a top-notch, dedicated staff,” Gribbin said. “And most importantly, it’s going to be a place that will give Veterans the hope and healing they so richly deserve.”