VA’s New Terre Haute clinic to serve thousands

Veteran Health Indiana hosted a “Topping Out” event for the new Terre Haute VA Clinic on October 14, 2020.

Veterans took part in history by signing one of the beams in the facility.

A Veteran signing one of the beams in the facility

The new clinic will provide Veterans with many different services. These services will include physical therapy, optometry, telehealth, audiology, home based care, basic imaging, and mental health.

“It’s not only healthcare. It’s mental healthcare. It’s socialization and a connection that many find to be of greatest importance in their life,” said Medical Center Director Laura Ruzick.

The facility is an essential part of the community because it will provide health care services to 10,000 Veterans.

“Mental health is an extremely important aspect of everyone’s life. That includes returning Veterans or Veterans from our communities who have lived here in the Terre Haute community for years,” explained Veteran and supervisory social worker Patrick Hoekstra.

“It’s important to be able to come in and get the services they require so they can get back to whatever normal is to them,” Hoekstra added.

Artist’s rendering of the new Terre Haute clinic

The $40 million facility will also combine existing Terre Haute Mental Health and Primary Care Clinics capable of providing health care services to Indiana Veterans. The new clinic will open in fall 2021.

Veteran Health Indiana also serves over 70,000 Veterans each year. Affiliated with the IU School of Medicine, the health system provides complex, tertiary care as well as basic primary care.

Angela Taylor is the Public Affairs officer for the Indianapolis VA.