VA clinic on the fast track By Sarah Riley News-Chronicle The site selection process that has begun for the new Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic in Green Bay is a good sign the clinic is not far away, a VA spokesman said. "That's a good thing," said John Zewiske, the VA community relations officer. "This is proceeding on the fast track." The clinic is designed to serve veterans in Brown, Door, Kewaunee and Oconto counties who now have to drive to Milwaukee or Appleton for care. The 1,650-person waiting list probably will be eliminated by the 2,000-patient clinic that will be built in Green Bay. There is no timeline for construction because the VA could choose an existing building or an empty lot for the clinic, which would affect the opening date. Since the clinic is outpatient, not much medical equipment will be needed that could delay construction. Radiology will be contracted out, and laboratory specimens will be sent to the Milwaukee VA hospital. "That's our intent, to serve the basic need," Zewiske said. "It's not a specialty clinic." After a site is selected, staff will be hired for the clinic, including a physician, a registered nurse, a licensed practical nurse, a part-time social worker, patient-services assistant and a part-time health technician. Some mental-health services will be available, but the focus will be on medical history, physical exams, health assessment, routine laboratory work and outpatient care of medical conditions. The clinic will be more convenient for the World War II veterans who would otherwise have to travel for health care. "There's a big veterans population up there," Zewiske said. "The advantage is that the patients don't have to drive to Milwaukee or Appleton." VA outpatient clinics are typiclly built smaller and grow as the need develops. The Appleton clinic, which opened in 1994, has grown from 2,500 patients to 11,300. The Cleveland clinic will soon double its size, Zewiske said. The Green Bay clinic is expected to expand to accomodate more patients over the years.