VA clinic planning process starts Monday

Veterans Affairs officials are beginning the process of establishing a health care clinic to serve about 7,000 veterans in North Idaho and Western Montana. The clinic likely will be in Kootenai County, officials said.

On Monday, an informational hearing will be held for veterans representatives and public officials. Sharon Helman, director of the VA medical center in Walla Walla and interim director of the Spokane VA Medical Center, will lead the session. A public forum will be scheduled for late August.

Congress in May approved $1.7 million to establish the clinic, which will have 23 employees. A 15,000- to 20,000-square-foot space is needed for the facility, which will provide primary and psychiatric care for veterans who now travel to the Spokane medical center, Helman said.

“We certainly have a population of veterans that’s increasing as the influx comes in (from Iraq and Afghanistan),” said Robert Shoeman, a veterans employment representative for the Idaho Department of Commerce and Labor, which is organizing Monday’s meeting.

The proposed outpatient clinic is part of a national push to combine primary and psychiatric care and to create greater health care access for rural veterans, Helman said.

A request for proposals from developers and property owners likely will be issued by the end of the month, Helman said.

Bids will be gathered for several months, then evaluated. Construction modifications may be needed, so a projected opening date is not yet set.

Officials also are in the process of expanding the outpatient clinic in Lewiston.

Monday’s meeting will be 2 to 3:30 p.m. at Best Western Coeur d’Alene Inn, 506 W. Appleway Ave.