Togus Veterans Hospital in Augusta held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new 12-bed inpatient facility to treat substance use disorder for veterans on Saturday.
Psychiatrist and program manager Dr. Timothy McIntire said there is a high demand for in-patient treatment.
"We've been in the unfortunate position where we need to send them out of state to other VA facilities to access that type of care. So having the treatment available here at Togus is really going to enhance our overall system of care delivery and make it much more convenient for our veterans," McIntire said.
The US Department of Veterans Affairs initially approved the center in the fall of 2020. It was supposed to open in 2022, but Maine VA officials say high construction costs caused delays. The facility is now expected to open in 2025.
