Anoka County Board adds its support for VA clinic

By PAUL LEVY, Star Tribune

Last update: June 23, 2009 - 10:44 PM

A new outpatient clinic for veterans could be ideally housed in the Ramsey Town Center development, the Anoka County Board said Tuesday, citing the development's proximity to highways, public transportation and parking.

And if that's not enough to persuade the federal government to build the Community Based Outpatient Clinic in Anoka County, Duane Krueger has 27,000 other reasons: the county's veterans themselves, many of whom now must drive 50 miles to their nearest Veterans Affairs medical center in Minneapolis or St. Cloud.

Krueger, the longtime director of the county's Veterans Service Office, said the needs of those veterans have grown considerably in the past year. His office -- which guides veterans through health and insurance issues, treatment for post-traumatic stress, unemployment, marital problems and questions concerning continuing their education -- saw a 48 percent increase in new clients' visits last year. This year, office contacts are up an additional 20 percent, he said.

"There's a significant demand for veterans' medical services in Anoka and Sherburne County and parts of northwestern Hennepin County that could be best provided with a new VA clinic in Ramsey," Krueger said.

"We have an aging veterans population in Anoka County and asking them to drive 50 miles for care is asking a lot," said Krueger, a Navy veteran himself. "We have a great program of volunteer drivers, but many of those drivers are getting pretty old, too."

In passing a resolution to support locating the VA clinic in the Ramsey Town Center development, the county board cited Ramsey's proximity to Hwy. 10, the availability of bus service and the advent of the Northstar commuter rail line, scheduled to open in November.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will ultimately decide where the clinic will be built.

Another AAA rating

Despite the depressed economy, Anoka County hit a financial jackpot Tuesday, earning another AAA credit rating that could help the county reap benefits for years.

The county's second AAA rating this year by Standard & Poor's is the highest possible. The county received an AA2 rating -- the middle rating in the AA category -- from Moody's, which noted that the county's income levels were not as high as other counties measured on a national scale, said Cevin Petersen the county's finance division manager.

"There are some positive things happening," Petersen said. "We have stimulus money coming in and now this AAA credit rating."

Not only will the credit rating affect the county's ability to buy and sell bonds, but it could help lure businesses looking to relocate, Petersen said.

"This," said County Board Chairman Dennis Berg, "is our report card on how we're managing our affairs in Anoka County."

Paul Levy • 612-673-4419