NEWS RELEASE - BOISE VA EXPANDING SERVICES IN SALMON, IDAHO

Boise – 10/1/2010

The Boise VA Medical Center is moving to a new location in Salmon, Idaho to make room for the expansion of services coming to that clinic.  Currently, the Boise VA Medical Center operates a small behavioral health clinic Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm in Salmon, Idaho located at 111 Lillian Street Suite 203.  The NEW clinic will be located at 705 Lena Street in Salmon, Idaho and will have approximately 3,300 square feet of interior space. The hours of operation would remain the same; Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm. The expansion of services will include Primary Care, Social Work, Mental Health and possibly Tele-Health (care managed via video conferencing from veterans home). Currently, only behavioral health services are available through the VA at the Salmon Clinic. The site selected for the new Salmon VA Clinic has existing structures that will need to be demolished prior to beginning construction. With demolition, construction and outfitting the new clinic with furniture, medical equipment and staff; the projected time of completion is approximately the fall of 2011.

Local veteran James Culpepper had this to say about the new clinic. "The drive from Salmon to Boise is about 5-6 hours on a very winding, treacherous mountain road. When it is winter and the roads are really bad, you have to go a different route that is about 8 hours of driving time." and added "Lemhi County has the biggest percentage of veterans per capita in all of Idaho. This new clinic is going to be big help for all of us who make the drive to Boise to visit the VA hospital."

The Department of Veterans Affairs estimates there are approximately 2,000 veterans who live in the catchment area of the Salmon Clinic, not including those veterans who reside in Ravalli and Beaverhead Counties of Montana State.

In order to access the Salmon VA Clinic, veterans must first enroll and become eligible for VA health services. Veterans who wish to enroll may walk-in or contact the Boise VA Medical Center Business Office via telephone at 208-422-1096, 1220, or 1224.

Josh Callihan
Public Affairs Specialist
 Boise VA Medical Center, 500 W. Fort Street (001), Boise, ID 83702
 Office: (208) 422-1054
 Cell: (208) 841-2431
 Fax: (208) 422-1157