Following Tester Push, Fergus County Area Veterans to Receive New and Improved Veterans Health Clinic in Lewistown

Senator worked to secure new veterans clinic that will be nearly twice the size of the existing clinic;

Chairman called on VA Secretary McDonough to open new clinic to better serve Fergus County area veterans

Fergus County area veterans will receive a new veterans health clinic in Lewistown following sustained efforts from U.S. Senator Jon Tester. As Chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee and a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Tester called on Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Denis McDonough directly to speed up the delivery of a new VA clinic in Lewistown to better serve north central Montana veterans.

"Veterans in Lewistown and across Montana deserve the best possible care and services-no matter where they live. That starts with making sure the facilities that serve them close to home are top-notch," said Tester. "This new and improved clinic will deliver our veterans better access to convenient, quality care, and I'm proud to have worked with local veterans to secure this new facility for our men and women who served. It's a big win for veterans in Fergus County, and I'll keep holding VA accountable in ensuring this important project stays on track and opens its doors as soon as possible."

Tester worked to secure the new clinic in Lewistown, which will be almost double the size of the existing clinic at approximately 6,100 square feet. It will offer primary health care, dietician services, lab services, Veteran Transportation Service, and telehealth, including mental health services provided through telehealth, under one roof to nearly 800 enrolled veterans in the area. According to VA, the new facility will be located at Lot 3, U.S. Highway 87 West in Lewistown, and will be a build-out from the ground up. Construction will begin after a design of the new clinic is finished and the facility is expected to be completed as soon as spring 2026.

Continuing his efforts to expand and modernize veterans clinics in rural Montana, Tester pushed VA Secretary McDonough in July to speed up its delivery of the new Lewistown VA Clinic and to continue aggressive oversight of the facility's construction process so it can open its door as quickly as possible.

As Chairman of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, Tester has led the way in expanding veterans' access to care in Montana-securing resources and federal approval to build new and modernized facilities across the state. Through years of focused work with multiple Administrations of both parties, and working across the aisle in Washington, D.C. and with Montana communities, Tester's efforts resulted in 13 new facilities opening or in planning for construction in the last several years-two at Fort Harrison in Helena, Missoula, Bozeman, Great Falls, Havre, two in Butte, Hamilton, Kalispell, two in Miles City, and now a new clinic in Lewistown.