LIHU‘E — A new, more environmentally friendly VA clinic opened Monday morning in Lihu‘e, offering bigger lab facilities and more exam rooms and offices. The new location for the Veterans Affairs Pacific Islands Health Care System is at Kukui Grove
LIHU‘E — A new, more environmentally friendly VA clinic opened Monday morning in Lihu‘e, offering bigger lab facilities and more exam rooms and offices.
The new location for the Veterans Affairs Pacific Islands Health Care System is at Kukui Grove West in the Solipsys building at 4485 Pahe‘e Street, Suite 150.
Charlene Burgess, the team leader and social worker, said this new clinic will be able to provide more services to veterans on Kaua‘i.
One of the biggest benefits to the outpatient clinic is the increase in space from 1,500 square feet to 6,700 square feet.
“Our prior clinic consisted of three exam rooms, five offices, a small lab room, a telehealth room, and we shared the conference room with the Kaua‘i Vet Center,” Burgess said. “The new clinic expands to seven exam rooms, 13 offices, larger lab facilities and telehealth rooms, and a conference room. We’ve never had an employees’ lunch room and now we have one.”
The Kaua‘i Vet Center remains at its current location adjacent to Fish Express on Kuhio Highway in Lihu‘e.
Burgess said the move also means there are more parking spaces than at the former location across from Wilcox Memorial Hospital.
“A big plus is that this new parking lot is para-transit bus accessible, and for those who use the Kaua‘i Bus, the bus stop is right across the street at the Kukui Grove Center,” she said.
In addition to more space, Burgess said they are able to expand in staff. A mental health clinical nurse specialist is scheduled to start at the clinic early next year and there is a strong possibility of expanding its home-based primary care services.
Laura Anderson, nurse practitioner, heads the current program which has a wait list, Burgess said. The home-based primary care program is intended for elderly homebound veterans with Anderson and her staff making home visits to care for the veterans who would otherwise be unable to access the clinic’s services.
The VA Kaua‘i Community Based Outpatient Clinic provides outpatient primary care headed by Dr. Douglas Duvauchelle and Sharon Espina, nurse practitioner and clinic manager. It offers mental health services through Dr. Charles Rogers, psychiatrist, and Paul Ochoa, addiction therapist.
Burgess said in addition to the staff, there are regular visits by specialty providers who commute from O‘ahu. Additional help is available through its telehealth system, minimizing the travel involved for veterans.
“The veterans of Kaua‘i will be happy to utilize this new facility,” Burgess said. “The VA Kaua‘i CBOC would like to thank all of the veterans for its support. Special thanks go out to the Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki, a Kaua‘i native, Sen. Daniel Inouye who presided over the site dedication about four months ago, Sen. Daniel Akaka, Dr. James Hastings, director of VA Pacific Islands Health Care System, and Shioi Construction who worked with the VA in designing and constructing the new facility.”
Joe Clemenson, project manager for Shioi Construction, said despite the short work time involved in getting the new facility operational, they are currently working to get the clinic LEED-certified.
Some of the facets highlighted in the clinic include the use of solar tubes to minimize the need for electrical light during daytime hours, and a new air conditioning system that provides more efficiency.
Burgess said the VA Kaua‘i CBOC will be joining other tenants of the Solipsys building in hosting a holiday canned food drive during December to benefit the Kaua‘i Independent Food Bank. Tenant businesses participating include the new clinic, Business Insurance Services, Solipsys Corp., Coldwell Banker, PATCH, and Good Beginnings.
People are invited to donate a canned good to help others by dropping off their contribution in the main lobby of the Solipsys building.
Burgess encourages all veterans not utilizing VA medical services to contact the clinic at 246-0497 to enroll and check for eligibility.
“The more veterans we have enrolled and service, the more the clinic can expand and hire more people to help provide even better service,” Burgess said. “If you are a veteran, please call.”
An official grand opening ceremony will be announced at a later date.
