The Phoenix Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System recently announced they are changing the operating hours at the newly opened 32nd Street VA Clinic and paused all Saturday operations effective February 18. During this pause, the Phoenix VA Health Care System (PVAHCS) will reevaluate the best way to deliver care to Veterans on Saturdays to ensure expanded access to services. The clinic will continue to offer extended hours of care, Monday – Friday, from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
In addition to this change, other changes include:
- Moving three clinics over the next three months to the Phoenix Midtown VA Clinic at 5040 North 15th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ. The Rheumatology Clinic will move to the 4th floor on March 13, the Endocrinology Clinic to the 3rd Floor on April 10, and the Dermatology Clinic to the 3rd Floor on May 8.
Meanwhile, the US Army Corps of Engineers is partnering with PVAHCS on several improvement projects. Brig. Gen. Antoinette Gant, the Corps’ South Pacific Division commander, discussed upcoming projects, including:
- Renovations for the Inpatient Ward 2C area and the Dietetics kitchen.
- Expanding emergency backup power to the HVAC system, and heating and cooling. systems for outpatient clinics and administration areas.
- Renovating the Infusion Center and the second-floor Inpatient Radiology Department.
- Expanding existing parking garage by 389 spaces.
The director at Phoenix VA, Bryan Williams, was appointed late last year. Before arriving in Phoenix, Mr. Matthews was the VA Health Care Systems Director at the Gulf Coast Health Care System, Biloxi, MS, and the Ozarks in Fayetteville, AR. Matthews, prior experience includes serving as the Associate Medical Center Director for both the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Washington, DC, and the Associate Medical Center Director for the Jack C. Montgomery VA Medical Center in Muskogee, Oklahoma.
His experience includes serving as the Chief Operating Officer charged with day-to-day operations and management of the annual budget and several primary medical center operations, including Facilities and Environmental Management Services, Human Resource Management, Fiscal, Police, and Logistics services, to name a few.
Matthews began his VA career at the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center in Detroit, MI, as the Chief of Supply, Processing, and Distribution and later as the Administrative Assistant to the Associate Director. He then transferred to the VA Maryland Healthcare System in Baltimore, MD, where he served as the Executive Assistant to the Associate Director. Before joining the Department of Veterans Affairs, he served in the U.S. Air Force for 22 years. He graduated from the University of Maryland and received his Master of Business Administration in Healthcare Management from the University of Phoenix. He is also a 2010 Executive Career Field Career Development Program graduate.
