VA opening new South Des Moines Clinic for Primary Care

VA of Central Iowa is opening a new Primary Care Clinic in South Des Moines expanding services and improving access for Central Iowa Veterans.

The new clinic is at 1211 E. Army Post Road in the Southridge Mall complex in a 42,000 sq. ft. building that was formerly occupied by the Toys R Us chain.

VA will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the facility at 3 p.m. on Aug. 17, and the public is invited to attend.

The current VA Medical Center at 3600-30th Street, Des Moines will continue to provide Specialty Care to the more than 32,000 active, registered patients in the Central Iowa VA area. Also, the VA’s Community-Based Outpatient Clinics located in Mason City, Fort Dodge, Carroll, Marshalltown, and Knoxville will continue to operate normally as Primary Care locations

“We’re very excited about this new facility and the improved access to care for our Veterans,” said Darwin Goodspeed, director of VA Central Iowa. “More parking, bigger exam rooms, expanded telehealth, dedicated Women’s Health spaces, and other upgrades make this clinic a great place for our Veterans to come for care, and for our staff to work.”

During July and August, patients have gradually been transitioning to their Primary Care providers at the new clinic. At Central Iowa VA, patients are assigned to one of four care teams so they will be able to see familiar caregivers during each visit. Each of those four teams of care providers and patients have transitioned on different days to ease the strain during the move.

So far, the plan has worked well.

“Some of our Veterans have been getting Primary Care in Beaverdale for 30 or 40 years, or more,” said Bobbi Karr, director the South Des Moines Clinic. “We were very concerned that moving to the new location would cause some Veterans some confusion. But we put a plan together to make sure our Veterans knew when and where they should get their Primary Care. We’ve been ecstatic with the results.”

The move will also vacate 19,000 sq. ft. of space in the Beaverdale VA Medical Center to be upgraded, modernized, and used for other medical services.

VA Central Iowa serves 42 counties in the state and two counties in Missouri, with the main campus located on 47 acres in Northwest Des Moines. There are several facilities on the Main Campus, including the main hospital, a domiciliary, and a Community Living Center. Off campus facilities include the South Des Moines Clinic opening this summer, a facility to support homeless Veterans, as well as outpatient clinics in Mason City, Fort Dodge, Marshalltown, Carroll, and Knoxville.

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Dan Kuester, Public Affairs Officer

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