Ribbon-cutting ceremony held for Fayetteville VA facility
The Fayetteville VA Medical Center held a ceremonial ribbon-cutting Monday for its outpatient health care center, which began accepting patients in November.
Posted — UpdatedThe 26,000-square-foot facility houses most of the outpatient services previously located on the medical center's main campus and two offsite clinics. Those services include primary care, mental health, outpatient services and an ambulatory surgery center.
The Fayetteville VA Medical Center has had some of the longest wait times nationwide for veterans to see a primary care physician. U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis said the people who work at the hospital aren't to blame for the lengthy waits.
"It's the processes that led up to getting this building built that we need to fix," Tillis said. "We all recognize the need to change it – make more of these facilities available, reduce wait times and provide better care to veterans."
VA Deputy Secretary Sloan Gibson, U.S. Sen. Richard Burr and 4th District Congressman David Price also attended the ribbon-cutting, and a veterans parachute team landed outside the health care center amid a party-like atmosphere.
The VA plans to upgrade the vacated space in the main campus for services such as an urgent care center.
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