A new Department of Veterans Affairs clinic nearly twice the size of its predecessor opened Friday in Lewistown, expanding the space available to about 770 veterans who actively use the facility.Watch Madison Collier report from the ceremony: New Lewistown VA clinic nearly doubles space for veteransThe $1.7 million clinic at 102 Market Dr. began seeing patients July 21, a few weeks before veterans, families and community members gathered for Fridays ribbon-cutting ceremony and public tours.The former VA clinic opened July 24, 2008, and operated in a building built in the 1950s. As the veteran population continued to grow, so did need. The 3,300-square-foot building handled more than 2,500 appointments each year.The VA signed the construction contract for the new facility Aug. 16, 2024. Less than two years later, the clinic opened with more than 6,100 square feet.Among those helping cut the ribbon was Durl Gibbs, a World War II veteran who is just weeks away from his 101st birthday. Im a month from being 101, so the VA has been part of my life for a good many years, Gibbs said. I think the future looks great.The clinic has four exam rooms, including one designed specifically for womens health. It also provides on-site lab services and telehealth for routine, specialty and mental health care.The building was designed around the VAs patient-aligned care team model. Exam rooms surround a central operations area where providers, nurses and other staff can consult during a patients visit, reducing the need for veterans to move between rooms or schedule separate appointments. Kimberly Adkins, executive director of the Montana VA Health Care System, explained the larger rooms are already improving accessibility. During one recent appointment, a veteran and his wife were both able to remain in their wheelchairs inside the exam room.She said the new location also has more parking, which Adkins said was an important consideration in an agricultural community where veterans may arrive in trucks or with trailers.Modernized space, organized space, just a better building, if you will, is what Montana really wanted to provide for Lewistown, Adkins said.The Lewistown clinic is one of 21 VA care sites across Montana. The statewide system serves about 49,000 enrolled veterans across roughly 147,000 square miles.With this new facility, I think it says a lot for the Lewistown community, Gibbs said. I feel really honored that I was able to cut the ribbon. ...read more read less