VA opens new Ocala-based outpatient clinic

New clinic will replace older clinic on E. Silver Springs Blvd.

The new Ocala VA community-based outpatient clinic (CBOC) opened its doors on Tuesday to veterans seeking outpatient primary and specialty care in Marion County.  The facility, which falls under the North Florida/South Georgia Veterans Health System (NF/SGVHS), has a total of 37 exam rooms throughout four Patient-Aligned Care Teams (PACT). 

Each PACT is color-coded (red, blue, green, and gold), and houses its own individual three-provider unit, complete with exam rooms, staff workstations, and supply closets.  The open-office concept co-locates all levels of staff who will interact with the patient, from Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) to doctors,nurse practitioners, and clinical pharmacists, allowing for better coordination and communication between the staff, said Dr. Jose Torres-Rodriguez, the NF/SGVHS Ocala CBOC Chief Medical Officer.

Craig Pasanen, a program support specialist and project manager for the new facility, pointed out that the entire 45,000-plus square foot design is veteran-centered, even down to the artwork chosen for the walls.  

The art in the lobby is a mix of patriotic pictures that encompass all branches of the military and representations of various military awards. Nature-themed pictures, highlighting the natural beauty of Central Florida, can also be seen in the hallways.  

The mental health wing, Pasanen said, features equine-themed pictures, emphasizing what makes Ocala “the Horse Capital of the World.” The light-blue color of the telehealth-specific exam rooms was chosen because it doesn’t interfere with the cameras.

Torres said the new facility, which has been years in the making, will replace the CBOC located on E. Silver Springs Blvd. in the Cascades Office Park where they operated for over two decades.  He said he is beyond thrilled for the opening.  

“The planning for this clinic started five years ago, and seeing everything from paper to physical reality is amazing,” he said. “I’m very, very, very happy, very excited for the veterans, excited for our employees.”

The new facility will house primary care, audiology, optometry, podiatry, mental health, nutrition services, a space for labs to be drawn, and telehealth-specific exam rooms, Torres said. He anticipates optometry will be ready to see patients in March or April, once their new equipment arrives.  

He said the move from the old clinic to the new facility took a good deal of coordination, and it was more than just transferring everything from one building to another.  

“We had two days in transition moving from the Cascades to here. It was a lot of work. The administrative officer in charge [of the move] had a lot of work on her hands. It was a lot of moving the employees, and almost a cultural change for everybody, learning the new office and its flow, going through ‘How are we going to check in the patients in the rooms?’ and everything like that,” he said. 

Torres said the staff of 70 spent a few days training in the new facility to get used to the new design. 

Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jose Torres describes a Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) room at the new Ocala VA Clinic off State Road 200 in Ocala, Fla. on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2022.

Josh Pridgen, the NF/SGVHS associate director for primary care and outpatient clinics, said planning for new facilities such as this one must take into account the amount of patients that are currently being served as well as any future growth in the area.  

“With the number of veterans in Marion County, and that number continues to grow, we’re just thrilled about having this space and adding the capacity with this new and modern site.”

With the new CBOC, they will be able to serve a much larger patient population than before, he said

 “So, Marion County currently serves around 10,000 veterans between our two sites. We’re consolidating those two sites in this new space, and we’ll be able to increase the capacity to serve up to about 14,000 to 15,000 veterans in this area,” he said. 

Torres said primary and specialty services were previously located in different parts of the Cascades, or a different part of Ocala altogether, and the consolidation of services under one roof will be beneficial for the patients because it will eliminate them having to leave one space for services in another. 

Dr. Mark Kielecki is an audiologist with the NF/SGVHS working in the new CBOC, and he agrees that having all the services under one roof will be a plus for veterans seeking treatment at the new facility.

“There was definitely some frustration being on the other side of town from primary care providers,” he said. “And now, if a patient has needs that need to be immediately addressed, we can walk them down there and hand them off to their provider and not have to worry about things being lost in translation or the patients navigating across town. So, there’s a huge benefit to being within the same building.”

In addition to faster service, Kielecki is also eager to help a larger patient population.

“So, we’re looking forward to being able to serve more veterans and serve more veterans in a timely fashion. And they’ve given us every possible resource you can imagine. All brand new equipment, everything state of the art. We’re learning and being trained on the new equipment. We’re really excited about it,” he said. 

Torres said not only is the audiology gear the latest models but “all our equipment is brand new,” he said. “Everything is brand new. Chairs, exam tables, EKG machines: everything is brand new.”

Kielecki understands specialty services like audiology can provide a benefit to veterans that might not be there with their private insurance, if they have any. 

“If you’re eligible to use the VA, and you have hearing loss, you’re eligible for hearing aids  And that gives the patients this great opportunity to get healthcare in an area that insurance is seriously lacking in the private sector. So, as a veteran, going to the VA is the place to go for hearing aids, it’s a no-brainer,” he said.

Torres said while the reviews were mostly positive, the new clinic’s location ends up being a longer trip for some veterans than it was to the Cascades.   Although, according to Pridgen, any new facility placement takes into account where the highest concentration of veterans reside before selecting a location.  

George Reimer was one of the veterans seen on the first day, and for him, the new facility is much closer than the old CBOC.  He remarked the new facility was much nicer and more modern. 

The new facility is located at 4826 SW 49th Road, and Torres said he joked with the staff that the new facility is so much larger than their previous one that they should start a “step challenge” to see who ends up walking the most throughout the day.

Veterans who are currently enrolled in VA services in Marion County will have their care automatically transferred to the new CBOC.