Ground on an 84,000 square foot VA Outpatient Medical Center will be broken this morning in the Market Common at 10 A.M.
The Robert H Johnson Medical Center will be on Howard Parkway and Airpark Drive.
Officials with Veterans Affairs tell News13 there are no plans to close the current clinic in Myrtle Beach, but they will reassess the need after the new facility opens sometime in 2021.
“We’ve seen substantial growth in our Veteran community here in Myrtle Beach, people love to live here,” Meredith Hagen, Public Affairs specialist for the Charleston VA Clinic said.
“We see about 13,000 veterans here at our clinic here in Myrtle Beach, so we’re popping at the seams here at our current clinic so we know that we need extra space.”‘
Due to the size and staff of the current clinic in Myrtle Beach, many Veterans have to go to Charleston for medical services.
News13 spoke with local Veterans about the impact a larger medical facility will have on the area, all said they believe more Veterans will see physicians.
“It’s tough to get there sometimes,” George Bontya, an AirForce Veteran said. “It’s a long ride to get there, it’s an hour and a half to two hour drive and sometimes you’re only down there for one thing and you’re going to be there for 15 minutes, 20 minutes. Is it worth it?”
“This will change everything,” Army Veteran, Lou Mascherino said. “It will make us feel more like we belong, more like we’re wanted.”
