Effingham VA Clinic to Get New Home

Veterans in the Effingham area will within months have a new center to address their medical needs.

The Effingham City Plan Commission has approved a site plan for an Effingham VA Clinic. The Clinic will be located at 1011 Ford Avenue, along the south side of Ford between the Hodgson Mill development along Interstates 57/70 and the strip mall that houses Buffalo Wild Wings, Effingham Express Care and Culture. City Building Official Bruce Devall said the development will fill the gap between the other two buildings.

The Clinic will take up close to 10,000 square feet of the building to be developed by Grunloh Construction of Effingham. The remaining 7,800 square feet of area will be marketed to a retail business. Tom Grunloh of Grunloh Construction said he hopes the building will be completed in early to mid spring of 2015.

The VA Clinic will relocate from its current home in the Lincolnland Building. Beth Lamb, who works in public information for the Marion VA Hospital that oversees the Effingham VA Clinic, said the big benefit will be additional space. Lamb said the primary aims of community clinics such as the one in Effingham is to provide primary care services and mental health services and said that would continue at the new facility. She thinks the move to the new location could take place next summer.