New $14 million VA medical clinic to open in the Midlands

Construction on the new Sumter Community-Based Outpatient Clinic is expected to begin this summer. The clinic will be run by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Once open, the new clinic will provide more services than are currently offered at the Sumter VA Clinic and will replace the existing clinic.

“The new (clinic) will enhance the overall healthcare delivery for the area Veterans,” a VA representative wrote in an email, and it will “allow for quality care” that meets veterans’ needs and is convenient.

The clinic will provide a variety of services to local veterans and their families, including primary care, women’s health care, mental health and counseling, physical therapy, audiology services, optometry, lab spaces and X-ray/radiology capabilities, according to documents provided by Blue Cord DevGroup, the development and construction firm handling the project.

The clinic will be located at 245 Bultman Drive in Sumter. Construction on the project is projected to last a year, and the clinic will open in the summer or fall of 2022, according to a VA representative.

The new location was chosen because of its proximity to major thoroughfares that will provide easier access to the greater area, including Columbia, according to Blue Cord.

The $14 million project will be financed through a loan secured by Berkadia, a commercial mortgage servicer. The specifics of the loan will allow the VA to build the clinic without refinancing into a permanent loan following its completion, as in the norm for a single-close loan.