Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | December 7, 2020 | Worcester Business Journal 15 V E T E R A N S I N T H E W O R K P L A C E F O C U S care in Massachusetts and more than 6 million nationally. e Worcester outpatient care center on Lincoln Street is one of 18 across the state, along with four inpatient VA care centers, in Bedford, Boston, Brockton and Northampton. e new VA facility at UMass Medical School is the result of a years-long effort stemming from what Collins said was a lack of accessible care for veterans in Worcester. $400M in new UMass campus buildings e Lincoln Street facility will no longer be used by the VA, but a specialty clinic at 377 Plantation St. will remain for podiatry, audiology and optometry services. at facility opened in 2016 in a partnership between the medical school and the VA Central and Western Massachusetts Healthcare System. e new VA center will take up half Veterans Affairs facilities Massachusetts United States Inpatient care sites 4 154 Outpatient care sites 18 1,029 Veterans centers 7 300 Veterans Benefits Administration regional offices 1 56 Expenditures on VA facilities Compensation and pension $1.2 billion $84 billion Education, vocation and employment $236 million $13 billion Operating expenses $26 million $9.2 billion Medical care $1.3 billion $70 billion Care and benefits Veterans receiving disability compensation 65,265 4,552,819 Enrollees in VA healthcare system 134,799 9,116,200 Unique patients treated in 2017 86,163 6,035,183 Veteran health care in Massachusetts and the United States Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (2017) Massachusetts United States Number of veterans 323,253 19,998,799 Percent of adult population who are veterans 6.7% 6.6% Percent of veterans who are female 6.9% 9.4% Number of military retirees 18,467 2,156,647 Number of veterans age 65 and older 185,650 9,410,179 Percent of veterans who are 65 and older 57.4% 47.1% Veterans in Mass. and the U.S. Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (2017) of a four-story building that's rising on Belmont Street where a regional office for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation once stood. A ceremonial topping-off ceremony was held in October, when the tallest beam of the structure was lied into place. e building is estimated to cost upwards of $75 million. e VA building isn't even the biggest construction project slated for the medical school campus — not by a long shot. e school announced in October it will build a $325-million, nine- story research and education building between the Lazare Research Building and the Albert Sherman Center. e 350,000-square-foot building is expected to host Horae Gene erapy Center, the Departments of Neurology and Neurobiology, the Program in Molecular Medicine, and the new Program in Human Genetics & Evolutionary Biology. To learn more, visit one of our branches or give us a call at 770.420.7700. Now, and always, we're here for you Rockland Trust has options that make your banking easier: • 160+ ATMs • Free access to thousands of ATMs through the SUM network 1 • Free online banking with bill pay • Free mobile banking 2 • Free mobile check deposit GRAFTON ST STOP & SHOP CASPER ST PAPA GINO'S GOODYEAR AUTO 967 GRAFTON ST DALTON ST BALDWIN ST ARCADIA ST 1. Rockland Trust may charge you a fee for the use of another bank's ATM. 2. Mobile banking is offered as a free service of Rockland Trust. You may incur and are responsible for any charges assessed by your mobile carrier. Contact your mobile carrier for more information. Member FDIC Now open at 967 Grafton Street Also visit us at our 301 Grove St location BRANCH HOURS Mon - Thu Fri Sat 8:30 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. 8:30 A.M. - 6:00 P.M. 8:30 A.M. - 1:00 P.M. Extended banking hours with Live Teller Services! VIDEO TELLER HOURS Mon - Fri Sat Sun 7:00 A.M. - 7:00 P.M. 8:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M. 10:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M. W

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