Veterans Administration To Build New Medical Clinic in Santa Maria

The Veterans Administration has announced plans for a new, full-service, medical clinic in Santa Maria to provide health care for veterans in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura, the San Luis Obispo Tribune reports. Shelley Hayes, administrative officer of the VA Greater Los Angeles Health Care System primary and ambulatory care program, said that preliminary plans call for a 25,000-square-foot, single-level medical center, but the completion date and location have not been determined, the Tribune reports. The new Santa Maria clinic will provide primary and mental health care, as well as some outpatient services, and will operate in conjunction with the San Luis Obispo Pacific Medical Plaza, which offers limited services. According to the Tribune, officials decided to locate the new clinic in Santa Maria because of population growth in San Luis Obispo County and Santa Maria. They previously had considered plans to expand the VA clinic in Santa Barbara, which will continue to provide primary and mental health care. More than 20,000 veterans live in San Luis Obispo County, according to the 2000 census (Block, San Luis Obispo Tribune, 12/4).