The mental health clinic at the Tucson VA Medical Center will be expanded this year, along with work planned to grow the size of the primary care facility and emergency department, officials said.

Ending veteran suicide is one of the VA’s top priorities, said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough at a press conference at the the hospital on Tucson’s South Side last week.

The Southern Arizona VA has recently enrolled nearly 1,000 new
veterans, and the expansions aim to improve both facilities and staffing
to address past issues with wait times.

U.S. Rep. Juan Ciscomani, who joined McDonough on Friday, emphasized the importance of bipartisan cooperation in improving services for veterans.

“There is a lot of noise around but when it comes to our veterans we
gotta leave all that aside and actually work together on this,” he said.

In addition to adding 7,600 square feet to the mental health clinic, the projects will expand the primary care area by 11,250 square feet — work scheduled to start in October — while the emergency department will be renovated and expanded by 8,000 square feet, with work expected to begin by the end of the year.

The Southern Arizona VA Health Care System, which includes the Tucson VA Medical Center, seven outpatient clinics and three Rural Health Coordination Centers, provides care to over 175,000 veterans across several counties in Arizona and New Mexico.

McDonough reported a nearly 92 per cent positive rating from veterans at the Southern Arizona VA and said the goal was to achieve a perfect satisfaction rate.

When asked about wait times at the Tucson VA, he said that primary care wait times were improving and that, across the country, there had been an 11 per cent reduction in average wait times due to recent improvements in access. He said that the VA’s expansion efforts will not only increase physical space but address staffing needs.

McDonough acknowledged slow hiring processes have limited the VA’s expansion of its workforce. He said that efforts were underway to address this.

He also addressed the connection between veteran homelessness and mental health and stressed the VA’s commitment to tackling veteran homelessness.

It has been two years since the passage of the PACT Act, which expanded healthcare and benefits for veterans exposed to toxic substances — including “burn pits” in combat areas — during their military service. McDonough said that program served over 1.1 million veterans who have received additional benefits.

“That means the PACT Act is working, but there are still millions of eligible vets around the country,” said McDonough, who encouraged veterans to start claims to access care.