Cape VA health care center work progressing, set for Feb. 1 opening

About 3,000 more military veterans from the region may receive health care through the Department of Veteran Affairs once the Cape Girardeau Health Care Center opens its doors early next year.

Libby Johnson, administrator, guided a tour of the under-construction facility Wednesday and provided information stating the existing Cape Girardeau VA Clinic serves about 5,000 veterans, and officials project that number to rise to 8,000 with the new facility at 711 S. Mount Auburn Road.

"We do hope to serve many more veterans than we are now," Johnson said. "We have about 10,000 veterans who are eligible in this area. We are encouraging all of them to enroll now."

Angela Smith, public affairs officer with Pershing VAMC, said many eligible veterans do not seek VA health care.

"They say, 'Oh, I leave that for the ones who need it,' or 'I have insurance' or whatever, but those are misconceptions," she said. "The more veterans who are enrolled in VA health care services, the more services we can provide."

A construction worker finishes windows in the lobby area of the Cape Girardeau Health Care Center on Wednesday. The Department of Veteran Affairs facility will fall under the umbrella of the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Missouri.Rick Fahr

The 45,000-square-feet facility, which falls under the umbrella of the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, will include an array of health care services:

• women's health
• home health
• mental health
• pain management and rehabilitation
• cardiopulmonary
• laboratory
• radiology
• pharmacy
• sterile processing services.

Specialty clinics will include:

• gastroenterology
• dermatology
• hematology/oncology
• orthopedics
• optometry
• audiology.

Johnson said staff will conduct minor surgeries at the center.

Ancillary services will include eligibility and administration. Johnson noted service officers with Missouri Veterans Commission will move from their current location at the Cape Girardeau Veterans Home to the center, enhancing their ability to work with veterans.

Johnson said the Cape Girardeau facility will offer virtually the same services as the Poplar Bluff hospital.

Officials hope to complete construction in early November and plan to open the facility Feb. 1.

"We will offer almost the same services, minus the inpatient," she said.

The front of the Department of Veteran Affairs under-construction Cape Girardeau Health Care Center is seen Wednesday.Rick Fahr

Purpose-built

The overall design of the center focuses on patient privacy and efficiency with little wasted space. Johnson noted the use of natural lighting in several areas. She explained the center uses a front-end/back-end setup keeping administrative and support functions separate from the care clinics.

"This is the staff support hallway," Johnson said as she pointed toward a long corridor. "So we should be able to feed all those supplies, all that support that we need to the caregivers from this end. The veteran should never have to see all of that happening."

During the tour, she touted facets of the facility's various sections.

The large lobby area will include five check-in booths along with two eligibility/enrollment stations on one side and a "cafe-style" side with informal seating.

Its laboratory will include analyzers, which will speed up the process for receiving results.

"Veterans will be able to get their results same-day," she noted.

In the women's health unit, she showed two exam rooms, each featuring a private restroom, a lactation room and a family restroom.

Johnson specifically pointed out an acupuncture room in the pain management clinic.

"Acupuncture is really cool. It's something unique to us, and we have some great testimonies from that," she said.

About 30 VA employees work at the existing Cape Girardeau VA Clinic, and information Johnson provided said the center will employ those staffers and 100 additional employees.

For information about eligibility for VA health care services, visit www.vets.gov.