Sen. Warner at a meeting with GSA Administrator Murphy

WASHINGTON — At a meeting with the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), U.S. Sen. Mark R. Warner (D-Va.) pushed GSA Administrator Emily W. Murphy and GSA Public Building Service Commissioner Daniel Matthews to provide an update on the agency’s efforts to begin construction of a new VA medical facility in Hampton Roads. The 155,000 square foot outpatient facility—which is meant to alleviate demand in the region—is the result of a successful bipartisan effort spearheaded by Sen. Warner last year to approve 28 overdue VA medical facility leases, including an additional outpatient clinic in Fredericksburg.

“Veterans in Hampton Roads have been waiting for far too long for a new outpatient clinic that will expand access to care and speed-up the process through which they receive medical treatment,” said Sen. Warner. “At our meeting, I urged GSA to take all necessary steps to ensure veterans in the region can receive the best care available to them, and I vowed to keep a close eye on the process so we can guarantee this building is ready to serve our veterans as soon as possible.”

Hampton Roads has one of the fastest-growing veterans populations in the country. From 2012 to 2016, patient visits in Hampton’s service area increased by 21.4 percent, while the national average across the VA system was 7.3 percent.