James A . Haley Veterans ’ Hospital
Distinguished guests and JAHVH leadership gather to cut the ribbon at the new Lakeland Outpatient Clinic on July 26 , 2024 .
By Rachelle Smith , Public Affairs , July 31 , 2024
Team Tampa hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony for the brand-new Lakeland Outpatient Center on July 26 , 2024 .
The new and improved facility , located at 2080 Meadowland Park Blvd ., Lakeland , FL 33803 , is the sixth project completed in two years for James A . Haley Hospital and Clinics , providing a population of near 50,000 Veterans with faster and better access to health care .
Distinguished guests and speakers of the ceremony included : JAHVH Executive Director , David Dunning ; JAHVH Deputy Director David
VanMeter , Master of Ceremony ; Florida ’ s 18th District Congressman Scott Franklin ; Gary Clark , Polk County Veterans ’ Council chair ; Rob Miller , deputy regional commissioner , General Services Administration ; and John D . Thomas , associate executive director , Office of Real Property , Office of Construction and Facilities Management , as well as a special honored guest , 99-year-old Army Veteran Frank Blish . Cpl . Blish parachuted into Normandy on D-Day in 1944 and was recently awarded the Bronze Star medal .
“ It ’ s a beautiful facility . If you ’ ve got a beautiful facility that the staff enjoys coming to work in , and the patients enjoy being in and it ’ s comfortable to be in for the care providers of Veterans , that ’ s going to lead to better outcomes for our Veterans ,” said Franklin . “ And that ’ s really what it ’ s all
“ It makes me so pro Veteran that also re the VA .” - David Dun
about . Thank you to everyone who worked so hard to make this dream a reality .”
The opening of the new clinic brings with it an increase of 100 new staff members . Veterans in Polk County can also determine their eligibility and
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