Future of veterans' clinic unsure after St. Joe's closes its doors
July 3, 2009 by John Allen · Leave a Comment
LORAIN — From a simple check-up to substance-abuse treatment, veterans have been receiving care at the Veterans Affairs clinic in the St. Joseph Community Center, 205 W. 20th St., in downtown Lorain, for the past decade. But with the pending closing of the center, it is unclear whether the clinic will stay there or be forced out along with the other 11 tenants.
Sean Nelson, chief of external affairs for Cleveland Veteran’s Affairs, said he’s known for awhile moving would be a probability.
"We’ve been prepared for this," he said. "We’ll still be in Lorain County and offer our services in Lorain County."
Nelson said the plan is to find a temporary spot for one to two years while looking for a new, permanent location. The clinic, which helps about 7,500 patients annually, offers services including optometry, outpatient mental health and pharmacy.
"It’s a clinic that’s had steady growth," Nelson said. "We will be there for them — we’ll always be in Lorain County for the veterans."
Lorain Service Director Robert Gilchrist said his team is working diligently to keep the Veteran’s Affairs clinic in Lorain. One option he’s been toying with is to segregate the utilities so the clinic can stay put. He and Lorain County Commissioner Ted Kalo met with the other tenants yesterday afternoon to discuss their future locations.
"We have to ramp up our efforts to relocate you ’cause I don’t want the lights to shut off on you," he told them. "I think it’s very do-able to relocate you without disrupting the services you provide."
