VA clinic to be created here

Allen Jamison retired from the Air Force in November 2007. Since then, he said he's made three trips to the Boise VA Medical Center.

"It would be a whole lot nicer if we had something closer," he said, adding he doesn't go to Boise very often because he doesn't like to drive in the city.

Although he also visits the hospital at Mountain Home Air Force Base, he said he would probably utilize a clinic in Mountain Home more than the hospital in Boise or on base.

With that idea in mind, the Boise VA Medical Center sought, and got, approval to open an out-patient clinic in Mountain Home.

The clinic is expected to be open within the next year, said Grant Ragsdale, associate director of Boise VA Medical Center.

Ragsdale said the VA will put together a planning team to determine the clinic's location and other details, though he said they will look to lease an existing building.

The hours will most likely be 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The center will be used for scheduled appointments and not emergency services, Ragsdale said.

"It's part of our effort to improve access to our patients so they can get care closer to their homes without having to come to Boise," Ragsdale said.

The additional clinic in Mountain Home is part of an ongoing process to improve that access, Ragsdale said, pointing to clinics in Twin Falls, Caldwell and Salmon as part of that effort.

Ragsdale said Mountain Home was the next logical place to expand the VA services because of the high concentration of veterans that live in the area.