Veterans outpatient center to open in Oneonta

Oct. 14—The U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs will soon open a VA clinic at the FoxCare Center in Oneonta.

The clinic will replace the one that is Bainbridge, Peter Potter, public affairs director at Stratton Medical Center in Albany said. He said the VA conducts demographic studies every five years to see how it can best serve veterans and determined moving the center to Oneonta will serve more veterans.

He said the VA opened a larger clinic in Binghamton and saw a decline in the numbers of people visiting the Bainbridge clinic. He said a small group of veterans and the landlord in Bainbridge tried to keep the clinic there, but the department reviewed the data and "based the decision on veteran needs and where they are located."

He said the data showed more veterans will be served at the Oneonta clinic. The Oneonta site had some other benefits, including proximity to public transit, a private hospital and other medical providers. "The VA does provide transportation to veterans anyway," he said.

Area county veteran services agencies also provide free transportation to veterans and are reimbursed by the VA, he said.

"Another draw was there are several colleges near Oneonta," Potter said. "Veterans are using their GI Bill benefits at these colleges."

The VA tries to have clinics within a 30-minute drive, and the move will help more Delaware County veterans, he said. Veterans in Delaware and Otsego counties either had to visit the Bainbridge or Fonda clinics, previously. He said the Stratton Medical Center serves 417 Delaware County veterans, 522 Otsego County veterans and 327 Chenango County veterans.

He said the VA also looked at the number of veterans living in each county based on U.S. Census records and saw the same trend of more veterans living in Delaware and Otsego counties than in Chenango County.

He said the data also showed the numbers of veterans living in Chenango County is decreasing, while it's increasing in Otsego County.

Potter said the new clinic will have two exam rooms, two telehealth rooms and one behavioral telehealth room. The women's health services will also be expanded at the new clinic, he said, and female veterans who experienced military sexual trauma will have more privacy.

He said the contract to operate the clinic in Bainbridge has expired, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic and supply chain issues for contractors, the clinic will remain open until the one in Oneonta is finished.

"We are waiting on some furnishings and equipment," Potter said.

He said veterans who are seen at the Bainbridge clinic will receive letters and phone calls letting them know when the new clinic will open. He said the Bainbridge clinic will be closed on a Friday, and the Oneonta clinic will be opened the next Monday. During the intervening weekend, staff will make sure everything is there to run smoothly.

He said the VA expects to have the Oneonta clinic open by the end of November.

"We're very happy and excited to be opening this clinic in Oneonta," Potter said.

Vicky Klukkert, staff writer, can be reached at vklukkert@thedailystar.com or 607-441-7221.