Natchez veterans will be relieved to learn that a VA clinic will open in Natchez this year. &uot;It’s a wonderful day when veterans who need health care don’t have to drive 200 miles to get that health care,&uot;&160;said Donnie Verucchi, who is the VFW state chaplin and a member of the VFW 9573.

The VA Medical Center in Jackson announced this week plans to contract with a local health care provider to provide an outpatient clinic for area veterans.

&uot;I know (for) a lot of veterans in this community its going to be a relief for them,&uot; Verucchi said.

The clinic will offer primary care and preventive health services and should be open for patients in August or September, said Joe McAnally, VA public relations director.

The VA has wanted to open in clinic in Natchez so it could better serve the patients. &uot;Nobody wants to drive to Jackson to see a doctor,&uot; McAnally said. With a local clinic &uot;you’re more likely to go see the doctor and get that care that you need.&uot;

The drive to Jackson can be hard on older veterans and difficult for families, he added.

The VA will be contacting all the local health care providers in the near future to find the best group with which to negotiate a contract.

The clinic will serve veterans in Adams, Franklin, Jefferson and Wilkinson counties along with those in Concordia Parish and surrounding counties.

About 7,000 vets live in the area and VA officials expect about 5,000 visits per year to the clinic.

&uot;Of the veterans in the area, about 1,200 currently receive VA medical care,&uot;&160;said Bruce Triplett, the acting director of the Jackson VA medical center.

The VA already offers similar clinics in Meridian, Hattiesburg, Greenville and Kosciusko and has future plans for clinics in or near Columbus, McComb and Vicksburg.

&uot;Our goal is to have routine care available to all of our veterans in the state within a 30-minute drive from their homes,&uot; Triplett said.

Veterans currently seen at the VA medical center in Jackson will be given the chance to transfer their care when the clinic opens.