The U.S. Veterans Affairs Clinic building 2 in Lakeland is closed for mold remediation. Audiology appointments are being held outside or in a mobile bus clinic onsite.
The U.S. Veterans Affairs Clinic building 2 in Lakeland is closed for mold remediation. Audiology appointments are being held outside or in a mobile bus clinic onsite. | Kimberly C. Moore, LkldNow

One of two buildings at the current U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Clinic in south Lakeland is closed for repairs after mold was detected in early April. The closure has impacted about 1,200 appointments.

The problem: VA spokesman Roderick Cunningham said mold was detected in the ductwork of Building #2, which houses the audiology and mental health counseling treatment areas.

Cleanup: The VA leases the buildings at 4231 and 4237 S. Pipkin Road. Cunningham said the owners are handling remediation, which began on April 25. The building is expected to reopen when the work is complete, but no date was provided.

Impact on veterans: Cunningham said approximately 1,200 appointments were impacted. “Nearly 300 were converted to virtual care, 400 rescheduled and 500 canceled or awaiting rescheduling,” he said.

Drive-through audiology: The clinic has set up a temporary drive-through area to see audiology patients. The VA’s mobile clinic bus is also on-site for audiology appointments and hearing device repairs. A handwritten sign states: “AUDIOLOGY CURBSIDE Stay in your car” with the hours of operation. There are parking places for people with and without appointments.

Commuting to other clinics: Cunningham said some veterans are also being referred to the Zephyrhills, Tampa or South Hillsborough clinics, which are 28 to 40 miles away. “We are working diligently to ensure the veterans we serve continue to receive the care they require,” he said.

New VA building is about to open: The VA broke ground on a two-story, 132,260-square-foot clinic in April 2022 and the $57 million project is nearly complete. Moving vans were parked outside the new James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital Community-Based Outpatient Care clinic on Friday and there were lights on in some of the offices.

Cunningham said the new clinic at 3530 Lakeland Highlands Road behind Sam’s Club is scheduled to open in phases over the next two months. It is five times larger than the current clinic spaces and is expected to serve more than 23,000 veterans upon opening.

The new , two-story James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital Community Based Outpatient Care clinic is readying to open in phases this summer.
The new, two-story James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital Community-Based Outpatient Care clinic is readying to open in phases this summer. | Kimberly C. Moore, LkldNow

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Kimberly C. Moore, who grew up in Lakeland, has been a print, broadcast and multimedia journalist for more than 30 years. Before coming to LkldNow in the spring of 2022, she was a reporter for four years with The Ledger, first covering Lakeland City Hall and then Polk County schools. She is the author of “Star Crossed: The Story of Astronaut Lisa Nowak," published by University Press of Florida. Reach her at kimberly@lkldnow.com or 863-272-9250.

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