Groundbreaking takes place for new Crawford County VA Clinic

Keith Gushard, The Meadville Tribune, Pa.
·3 min read

Sep. 23—VERNON TOWNSHIP — A new, larger Crawford County Veterans Administration Health Clinic will open in Vernon Township by this time next year.

Under construction since mid-August, brief formal groundbreaking ceremonies for the new $2.5 million patient-centered clinic were held Friday at Route 19 and Vernon Place in the township.

The new VA clinic is being built on the former Plant Place property and is adjacent to Meadville Medical Center's Vernon Place, an outpatient medical services center.

"This new clinic holds fast our commitment to giving care where it's needed most — close to home right here in Meadville," John A. Gennaro said. Gennaro is director of the Erie VA Medical Center.

Featuring the integrated Patient-Aligned Care Team (PACT) model design, the new Meadville area clinic will offer a patient-centered environment, according to Gennaro.

It is to ensure that each patient receives comprehensive, coordinated and user-friendly healthcare services tailored to individual needs, he said.

Veterans remain in one exam space while providers come to them, rather than the patients having to move about the facility to receive various specialty services.

Scheduled for a fall 2024 completion, the new building is 15,212 square feet — almost double the size of the current Crawford County VA clinic location just down the road. The current Crawford County clinics remains open until the new facility opens next year.

The new site will have updated medical equipment, advanced telehealth tools and a wide range of additional medical specialties, including cardiology, whole health, endocrinology and podiatry.

"This new clinic will connect veterans with newest and best care and improve health care access to our veterans," Gennaro said.

Just last week, the Erie VA Medical Center was honored as a top VA Medical Center in the U.S. for patient experience by the Veterans Health Administration.

The award is based on ratings of the hospital, its health care providers, level of trust by veterans and overall employee satisfaction, Gennaro said.

"It shows the commitment, compassion and the hard work of our staff," Gennaro said of the Erie VA Medical Center earning the honor.

In brief comments at Friday's ceremonies, Phil Davis of Meadville, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Vietnam, praised the work of the local clinic.

Davis has been a patient of the local clinic for the past 12 years.

"I've had nothing but excellent care from everyone involved in the clinic," Davis said in praising its nurses, doctors, physician assistants and other staff. "I can honestly say if it wasn't for the staff, I may not be here because of my health conditions."

"Hope it is a big success which I know it will be," he said of the new facility.

Tony Digiacomo, Crawford County Veterans Services Officer, hopes the new location will attract more area veterans to use the clinic.

"We have more than 6,000 veterans in Crawford County, but if only about 2,700 use the VA that's a problem," Digiacomo said. "Some of it is eligibility issues (for the individual veterans), but it's a better location, better parking and access."

Digiacomo hopes the Erie VA Medical Center's recent award and the new Crawford County clinic will spark more county veterans to use VA services.

The Erie VA recently opened a similar new PACT-style Venango County clinic near Franklin with two others planned for Ashtabula County, Ohio, and Warren County.

Keith Gushard can be reached at (814) 724-6370 or by email at kgushard@meadvilletribune.com.