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Dedication and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Scheduled for new Ocala VA Clinic

PRESS RELEASE

June 10, 2022

Ocala , FL — We are excited to announce we have scheduled a Dedication and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Wednesday, June 22 @ 9:30 a.m. This ceremony will be open to the public.

The North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System (NF/SGVHS) opened a new state-of-the-art VA Clinic in Ocala on Tuesday, January 25, 2022. The new facility is located at 4826 SW 49th Road, Ocala Florida. 34474. Due to ensuring the safety for all due to the COVID-19 situation at the time, a Dedication and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony was postponed.

We are excited to announce we have scheduled a Dedication and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Wednesday, June 22 @ 9:30 a.m. This ceremony will be open to the public. 

Our keynote speaker, Miguel H. LaPuz, M.D., is the Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Health (AUSH).  In his current acting role, Dr. LaPuz was appointed to lead the VA’s efforts to address access and community care in the newly formed position of Assistant Under Secretary for Health (AUSH) for Integrated Veteran Care (IVC), effective May 22, 2022.

Prior to his current acting role and appointment as AUSH for IVC, Dr. LaPuz served as VISN 8 Director, where he oversaw healthcare delivery through a system of eight hospitals (two of which are integrated) and nearly 60 primary care and specialty outpatient clinics; eight nursing homes; and five domiciliaries. Serving a population of more than 1.5 million Veterans.

Also participating in the ceremony is Dr. Edward Cutolo, Jr., Acting VISN 8 Director; David Isaacks, Executive Health System Director, NF/SGVHS; Dr. Jose Torres-Rodriquez, Chief Medical Officer, Ocala VA Clinic; Scott MacRae, Deputy Associate Executive Director, Office of Real Property, Office of Construction and Facilities Management, VA; Craig Curry, Vice Chairman, Marion County Board of County Commissioners; Jeffrey Askew, Marion County Veteran Service Officer; Julie Rattley, VA employee, Army Veteran, retired; and Marion County Marine Corps League Detachment 061, Ocala.

Included at the end of the ceremony is a special US Flag presentation to the Ocala VA Clinic from Dave Hill, Veteran and Military Liaison and Daniel Caballero, Wounded Warrior Fellow on behalf of Congresswoman Kat Cammack, District 3, Florida.

“We are proud of this accomplishment and of the employees who work here that provide exceptional health care to Veterans in this community,” said Executive Health System Director, David Isaacks. “The new clinic is more than double the size of the previous one and offers primary care, mental health, audiology, podiatry, specimen collection, and telehealth services.”

Veterans interested in enrolling for VA health care who are not currently an established patient at the clinic can call 352-369-3320 ext. 31-6273 or 31-6274, 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday thru Friday and ask for eligibility and enrollment.

NF/SGVHS is one of the nation’s leading VA healthcare systems, employing more than 5,800 medical professionals and support staff dedicated to providing high quality care to Veterans residing throughout north Florida and South Georgia. The organization operates 14 facilities to include two medical centers located in Gainesville and Lake City, a Domiciliary and clinics located throughout a 50-county catchment area.
 

Media contacts

Melanie Thomas, Public Affairs Officer

(352) 548-7130

VHANFLPublicAffairs@va.gov

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