Expanding Lynn VA clinic meets hike in demand

LYNN – With ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and baby boomers who fought in the Vietnam War now reaching retirement age with medical needs, the Veterans’ Administration clinic on Boston Street is a busy place.The clinic recently underwent a major expansion, increasing in size from 1,900 to nearly 8,000 square feet. A ribbon-cutting was held last month.According to Arthur Salkins, 64, of Lynn, a U.S. Air Force veteran and commander of Franco-AMVETS Post 161, the clinic had 900 registered patients when it opened in 1998. Today, there are 2,143, said Salkins, who counts himself among them.”Lynn has the highest number of veterans of any community in Essex County,” he said Wednesday. “That’s why this location is so important.”Michael Sweeney, the city veterans’ agent, explained the expansion required gutting the first floor. “It was worth it and work is still under way in some parts of the building,” he said. “The clinic provides a level of comfort. It’s close by, so there’s easy access. For some of the young returning veterans, that may make the difference of whether they come in for services or not.”U.S. Rep. John F. Tierney, a Salem Democrat and longtime proponent of the clinic, said the five-year fight during the Bush Administration to keep the facility in Lynn paid off. “We were able to convince them not to consolidate the clinic. Their proposals didn’t stand up to what the actual facts were,” he said Wednesday. “For the older population of vets, having a clinic in Lynn makes a huge difference. Their spouses are getting older too and they’re often the ones driving. With the clinic right here in Lynn, they don’t have to spend 45 minutes in the car.”The demand for mental health services is growing as soldiers return from Middle East battlefields suffering from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). “We’re getting lots of requests,” said George Fitzhenry, 68, of Swampscott, a U.S. Navy veteran of the Vietnam War, president of the Lynn Veterans’ Council and commander of American Legion Post 291 in Lynn. “They hold groups here.”Fitzhenry said veterans requiring more advanced medical services are sent to the Veterans’ Administration hospitals in Boston – to Jamaica Plan as outpatients and to West Roxbury as inpatients.The Lynn clinic’s oldest patients served in World War II. Others were veterans of the Korean War, Vietnam War, various Middle East conflicts and what has become known as the Global War on Terrorism. Sweeney estimated Greater Lynn is home to 7,000 military veterans.The latest wave include those in their 20s, often with two tours of duty behind them, and other soldiers in their late 40s and early 50s, mostly National Guard members.Sweeney said returning soldiers not only have medical needs but are faced with joblessness and difficulty finding affordable housing.”The biggest influx right now is local National Guard units coming home from Afghanistan,” Sweeney said. “Before it was Iraq. A lot of these guys have done two tours. Some suffer from PTSD. We also have the Vietnam vets, baby boomers who are getting ready for retirement. They’re taking advantage of our services, getting medical attention, put off for years, that should have been addressed long ago.”U.S. Army National Guardsman Jeffrey Hollett, 47, of Lynn, visited the clinic Wednesday to check on benefits status, arrange for a primary care physician and schedule neglected dental work. Hollett returned home from Kuwait on Dec. 24. He previously served two tours in Iraq and another stateside.”I plan to stay home for a year or more and see what happens,” said the sergeant. “I grew up in Saugus and now I own a home at the edge of the Highlands in Lynn. I’ve been gone 41/2 of the past eight years so the house needs work, one car is in the shop and I have lots of other details to take care of.”Hollett described himself as part of a new era of war veterans. “Having this clinic here in Lynn is a huge advantage,” he said. “I’m having a hard time making the transition f