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The new Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Toms River will open on Tuesday, Oct. 22, the VA said in a news release on Thursday, Oct. 9. The center is located at 1051 Hooper Avenue.
The state-of-the-art facility will replace the James J. Howard Veterans' Outpatient Clinic in Brick Township, which will close on Monday, Oct. 21. All appointments after that day will be transferred to the Toms River clinic and vets will get new appointment cards with updated information.
Ocean County has more than 40,000 veterans, the most for any New Jersey county, according to U.S. Census Data.
"The opening of the Toms River clinic marks a significant milestone in our mission to provide world-class healthcare to our veterans in Ocean County and beyond," said Patricia O’Kane, executive medical center director for the VA New Jersey Healthcare System. "This new facility allows us to expand access to care, improve services, and better meet the needs of our veteran community. We are excited to welcome them to this state-of-the-art clinic."
New Jersey's VA system has 14 community-based outpatient clinics across the state, along with medical centers in East Orange and Lyons. The outpatient clinic in Camden is operated by the VA Philadelphia Healthcare System.
FDS Toms River was awarded a $60.7 million contract in July 2021 to build the 68,000-square-foot center.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be scheduled in November to celebrate the Toms River clinic's opening.
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