VA Minneapolis breaks ground on new Women’s Clinic bldg.

By Tim Engstrom Published October 1, 2024

Minneapolis VA Women’s Clinic Director Alisa Duran speaks Friday, Sept. 13, at the groundbreaking for the clinic on the east side of the hospital building. The new clinic is expected to be finished by spring 2026.

MINNEAPOLIS — Doctors, nurses, federal politicians, veterans and their spouses, VA officials, state officials and media crews gathered on the east side of the Minneapolis VA Medical Center on Friday, Sept. 13, to break ground on construction of the long-awaited Women’s Clinic.

“This new clinic will not just be a building; it will be a symbol of our commitment to providing comprehensive, compassionate and personalized care to the women who have served our nation with distinction and dignity,” said Dr. Alisa Duran, the women’s health director at the Minneapolis VA. “It will represent our recognition of the evolving needs of female veterans and our dedication to addressing those needs with the highest standards of medical excellence.”

She shared a timeline of women’s health care at the Minneapolis VA.

In 1985, it opened a breast cancer detection clinic. She said the Minneapolis VA was the first VA to perform on-site mammography.

St. Thomas University Air Force ROTC Cadets Ann Nelson and Kaitlyn Morgenstern sing the national anthem at the groundbreaking.

In 1988, the Minneapolis VA established the Women’s Preventative Medicine Clinic, which, thanks to a grant, became the Women Veterans Comprehensive Health Care Center, opening in 1993. Services such as primary care, gynecology, psychology and others were added over time.

The clinic last year celebrated 30 years since then. It exists inside the hospital, but the new Women’s Clinic will provide it with an exterior entrance and the room to expand services.

“In 2026, right here, we will offer a wide range of services, from primary care, gynecologic and reproductive health consultation, whole health coaching, peer support, maternity care coordination and mental health support,” Duran said. “Our goal is to create a nurturing environment where our veterans feel understood, respected, and empowered to take charge of their health.”

Minneapolis VA Director Pat Kelly said 17.5 percent of veterans nationwide are women, and it is a fast-growing demographic.

From left are Sen. Tina Smith, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Rep. Betty McCollum, VA Director Pat Kelly, VISN-23 Director Robert McDivitt, Women’s Clinic Director Alisa Duran, Woman’s Program Manager Emma O’Brien and VA nurse and Air Force veteran Tracy Farley. They participated in the groundbreaking of the Women’s Clinic at the Minneapolis VA. The hospital has a clinic for women inside, but by 2026 it will have one roof and its own entrance.

He said 105,000 veterans come to the Minneapolis VA for care, and 9,000 of them are women.

“A lot of our women veteran advocates didn’t think we were really going to do this,” he said.

Kelly extolled the Minneapolis VA’s five-star rating from the CMS Overall Hospital Quality Star Ratings. He said there are about 170 VA medical centers, and Minneapolis was one of 35 to get five stars.

“They can be guaranteed they can get the highest quality care anywhere,” Kelly said.

U.S. Sen. Tina Smith said she likes that women veteran advocates “refused to accept a project that was nice to have but necessary to have.”

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar said the federal government promises equipment for the troops and it must provide health care for them, too, including National Guard and Reserve. She thanked the women veterans for their patience on getting funds for the new clinic.

U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum said the most diverse field is the military.

“The institution that broadly reflects all of America is our armed forces,” she said.

She said she has been active in the Legion and VFW auxiliaries, and she said the women veterans she knows were hamstrung by the services available at the VA, because those services were oriented toward male patients.

As ranking member of the House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, she said the Department of Defense needs to work on the handoff of servicemembers from military to VA.