A Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health facility quietly opened in Platte City last month, and the facility will likely be expanding the scope of its services in the coming months.The community based outpatient clinic is located at 2803 Higgins Rd. Suite C — just behind Running Horse Ranch and Home. Currently, hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Mondays only, and according to a VA spokesman, the process of fully furnishing the space continues. The clinic opened on Monday, June 15, and a full grand opening will be set in the future.
The VA hopes to use the facility to alleviate a backlog of patients seeking treatment at Dwight D. Eisenhower VA Medical Center in Leavenworth, Kan. That facility is basically maxed out on what it can provide and has no room to expand.
Jim Gleisberg, a VA health public affairs officer, said VA patients in the Platte City area can transfer their services from Leavenworth to the new facility by calling 1 (800) 952-8387 ext. 59141. The Platte City clinic offers primary care and social work services with one physician and one nurse.
“The VA tries to take the primary care and the health care of the veterans as close to the veterans as possible,” Gleisberg said.
Prior to this clinic, the closest services available were in Leavenworth, Kansas City and St. Joseph. Gleisberg said this clinic isn’t designed to take patients away from other areas, but that a sufficient population of veterans in the Platte City area made the idea viable. The VA is leasing the office space and plans to expand services as needed.
According to Gleisberg, need will drive how quickly the VA can start to make changes at the Platte City facility.
“It is our expectation that that clinic will eventually evolve and be full time Monday through Friday,” he said. “Expansion is what we’re planning for, but we’re starting out slow so we can build that up.”