Chantilly VA facility’s opening brings new level of service for veterans

HHB Engineers served as the Commissioning Agent (CxA) for the new 150,000 SF VA Medical Clinic that opened in 2015 in East Montgomery, off Chantilly Parkway in Montgomery Alabama.  For more information in our Project Portfolio, click here

Article Excerpt:

Chantilly VA facility’s opening brings new level of service for veterans

By: , Montgomery Advertiser

The official opening of the Montgomery Veterans Affair Clinic off of Chantilly Parkway is a blessing for veteran Army Sgt. Maze Marshall.

It only takes Marshall, who was paralyzed from the waist down after falling from a helicopter in Korea, five minutes now to get from his home to the newly opened facility.

An official ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Monday with invited city, state and VA officials including Sloan Gibson, the Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Representatives Martha Roby and Mike Rogers and officers from Maxwell Air Force Base.

Marshal was among hundreds of local veterans who filled the open foyer for the ceremony and those who were waiting to be called for a clinical visit. Marshal visited MVAC last week and was impressed by the new, state-of-of the art facility and the care he received for his injury.

“I love it. The spinal cord injury center is also here, which makes a world of difference to me. I can call ahead, get my prescription made, pick it up and go,”  said Marshall, who usually had to drive a 40-minute round trip to visit the Central Alabama Health Care System on Perry Hill Road. Parking is also improved, Marshall said. There are nearly 100 wheelchair-accessible parking spaces at the facility.

Marshall, who is confined to a motorized wheelchair, fell nearly 60 feet from a helicopter in Korea 26 years ago. He and his team were placing beacons for aircraft, when he stood up, lost his balance and fell out of the back of the chopper.

Veterans such as Marshall and the other 580,000 veterans enrolled in VA health care across the nation who deserve quality and accessible care, Roby. During the past year, she has been bringing veterans’ concerns to Washington and shedding light on some of the nation’s worst VA wait times, mismanagement and scandal.

Since then, Roby has been working with new CAVHCS Interim Director Traci Stolt and Interim Network Director Thomas Smith. She said she is encouraged by the VA’s progress.

“Traci and Tom have taken the reins here under some pretty difficult times and we’ve gotten results. I know it’s not easy to have a congresswoman breathing down your neck all the time, but they have been reliable and straightforward in communicating with me about the progress here and that alone has been a breath of fresh air,“ Roby said.

Roby said she has held regular calls with Alabama VA staff and reported positive changes in wait times and an increase in staff.

“Progress is being made … badly needed staff has been hired to fill in some of the gaps that had been left open for years. All this means is more veteran patients are receiving care in a more timely fashion. That’s what this is all about,” Roby added.

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