Staying true to one of my commitments for the new year, I am proud to say we have officially opened the new, expanded VA clinic in Northfield. This clinic will serve veterans across South Jersey and the greater region, and it is something I have been fighting for, for a long time.
This effort goes all the way back to 2019, during my first term in Congress. When we learned the lease for the old clinic was set to expire, I knew we could not risk any interruption in care for our veterans. Instead of just replacing what we had, I pushed to turn this into an opportunity to do more. Too many veterans were being forced to travel to Pennsylvania or Delaware for basic care, which is not right.
Like most big projects, there were obstacles along the way. COVID, supply chain delays, and record-high inflation all slowed things down. But we stayed at it, and this month we finally got it done.
The new clinic is more than 22,000 square feet and offers double the number of exam rooms, a much larger lab, and new services like radiology and physical therapy. There is also room to expand even further in the future, so veterans can continue getting more of the care they need close to home. Our veterans kept their promise to this country. It is our responsibility to keep ours to them.