WARSAW — Warsaw officials have been lobbying for years for a specific site for construction of a VA clinic, and on Monday, one official said they’re eyeing a location on CR 200N near Parkview Kosciusko Hospital.

Efforts to bring a VA clinic to Warsw have been underway for several years, and Jeremy Skinner, director of community & economic development, said Monday they found an entity that agreed to place it adjacent to other recently constructed medical offices along CR 200N.

The US Department of Veterans Affairs has increasingly relied on the use of third-party entities for construction projects.

Skinnner said they've been lobbying for that property because of its proximity to Parkview, Lutheran Kosciusko Hospital and US 30.

Skinner brought up the issue Monday at a city redevelopment commission meeting and said they are working on a memo of understanding that would be part of a sale of the land from Parkview Health to an unidentified LLC.

The clinic is expected to be about 16,000 square feet, and Skinner said they hope construction could begin this year or next.

The project is expected to cost roughly seven to eight million dollars, and Skinner said the city is ready to provide $1 million to cover some of the development costs.

Neither the MOU nor the financial transaction has been approved by the city, but Skinner addressed the rationale on Monday.

"When you think about the benefit that this will offer all of the veterans in Kosciusko County, people who have served our country, giving them easy access to the health care that they need in a shorter distance, a shorter travel ... that's definitely worth the city's participation," Skinner said.

He was also asked if the plan would come together if not for the city's financial support.

"They' ve been trying to put on (in Warsaw) for the last five years," Skinner said. "Does this help get it done? I think so, yes."

Money for the project would come from one of several tax increment finance funds controlled by the city.

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WARSAW — Congressman Rudy Yakym visited Warsaw Tuesday as part of a tour highlighting military veterans issues, and addressed two distinct topics.

The 2nd District Representative talked about legislation he’s authored in Congress that would ensure that veterans who are considered to be 50 percent disabled or more can get access for a mental health appointment within five days or the US Department of Veterans Affairs would be required to pay for the community care.

The bill is named after Sgt. Ted Grubbs, a resident of St. Joe County who was having a mental health crisis and reached out to the VA, only to be told it would be six weeks before he could get an appointment.

"He literally had a gun to his head and was ready to pull the trigger and reached out to the VA to get an in-person mental health appointment and the VA let him down. That's why we wake up every day going to bat for people like Sg. Ted Grubbs."

"The No. 1 concern I hear across the district is access to mental health and specifically, in-person mental health appointments," Yakym said.

Yakym met with a small group of veterans at the American Legion Post 49 Tuesday afternoon as part of a tour of gatherings with veterans in the district.

He also assured that plans for a proposed Veterans clinic in Warsaw is still on track.

The proposed district was confirmed earlier this year, but the federal government is still working on determining where it will be located.

He also assured that plans for a proposed Veterans clinic in Warsaw are still on track.

Plans to open a new clinic in Warsaw were confirmed earlier this year, but the federal government is still working on determining where it will be located.

Earlier this year, officials with Parkview Health expressed interest in including a VA clinic as part of a new development along US 30 in Warsaw, but Yakym's office said site selection for the clinic has not yet been finalized.

"What's important for the veterans in this community to know is that we have heard them on that request and we continue to be their advocate to make that come to fruition," Yakym said.

A spokesman for Yakym said they want to see the plan come together soon, but did not have any kind of timetable.

Veterans at the meeting also expressed dismay over the VA’s rotation of doctors as well as a phone service, part of which Yakym described as an “unmitigated disaster.”

[caption id="attachment_93612" align="aligncenter" width="696"] US Rep. Rudy Yakym (L) talks with Kosciusko County Councilman Tony Ciriello during a meeting Tuesday at the American Legion Post 49 in Warsaw. Ciriello helped organize the meeting between Yakym and local military veterans. News Now Warsaw photo by Dan Spalding.[/caption]

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