Booker Celebrates the Opening of Toms River CBOC, Expanding Access to Veteran Care in New Jersey

OCEAN COUNTY, N.J. - Today, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) joined VA officials and local leaders to cut the ribbon on the new state-of-the-art veterans clinic in Toms River, New Jersey. Booker spoke to dozens of veterans, advocates, healthcare workers, and community members to celebrate the grand opening of the new Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC), which will provide multiple specialty health services for both men and women veterans, and is projected to serve 58,000 veterans in Ocean and Monmouth counties and the surrounding area.

The Toms River CBOC, double the size of the previous facility in Brick, boasts advanced medical equipment and 480 parking spaces, improving accessibility for local veterans. The new facility also offers critical services that veterans once had to travel to East Orange to receive, including expanded mental health care options and support for women veterans, who represent the fastest-growing demographic in the veteran community.

Since hearing from veterans and the community in 2017 about the inability of the Brick CBOC to meet increasing patient demand, Senator Booker has advocated for the establishment of the Toms River CBOC. He helped get the project back on track following delay, and worked to remove barriers to health care for veterans in Ocean and Monmouth Counties, such as long drives and inadequate transportation options, too few providers and services, and unacceptably long wait times for appointments.

"The opening of the Toms River CBOC has been a long time coming, and I am incredibly grateful for all of the veterans, organizations, and local partners that have worked with me and my office to get New Jersey veterans in this area the healthcare they deserve," said Senator Booker. "Home to over 58,000 veterans, Monmouth and Ocean Counties are represent the greatest concentration of veterans in the state-we desperately needed this new, larger, state of the art facility to meet the demand of the community and service those demands here locally. We've done so much to expand community-based care here in New Jersey over the past several years, and truly, our work is just beginning. We will continue to work together to break down the barriers to care, and ensure that those who have given so much to our nation get the services they need."

Throughout his tenure, Senator Booker has worked to expand and improve veterans' healthcare services across New Jersey, including opening new CBOCs in Sussex County and Cumberland County, relocating the Cape May CBOC to a more accessible location within the county, and with additional expansions planned in Atlantic County and Gloucester County. The opening of this new, state of the art clinic highlights a continued focus on delivering high-quality care to New Jersey's veterans, both through building quality infrastructure and providing mental health support.

Video of Senator Booker's remarks at the ribbon cutting today can be viewed here.