When someone joins the United States military they essentially volunteer to give their lives, if necessary, for our country. Fortunately, few have to make the supreme sacrifice. But they perform hard work and selfless service that goes beyond what those of us who have never served can possibly imagine.

Providing medical care is one of the ways our country says thank you to its veterans. In Fort Dodge, that care will be provided in a new facility that enables doctors and nurses to do more examinations and treatments in one place than was possible before.

The new VA Health Clinic at 530 S. 25th St. opened late last month.

It combines a clinic and a mental health center that were in two separate buildings in Fort Dodge. The new facility has more than 16,000 square feet. Within that space, the medical staff can provide all the services it offered previously, plus more. The new site offers audiology, cardiology, mental health care, optometry, physical therapy, radiology and womens health, to name just a few of the services.

Having all that in one place allows the medical staff to work together to get the best outcomes for patients. For instance, a primary care physician can work closely with a physical therapist.

For those passing by the site on South 25th Street, it may have seemed like the new clinic was under construction for a long time. Now that it’s done, we think veterans will be happy with the result.

We are pleased that the United States Department of Veterans Affairs has invested in a new health care facility in Fort Dodge. It will benefit hundreds of veterans from north central Iowa for decades to come.