The federal Department of Veterans Affairs has opened a new outpatient clinic in Statesboro.

U.S. Rep. John Barrow, D-Augusta was among dignitaries attending a dedication ceremony at the clinic Tuesday. Barrow says the new facility will cut travel time for veterans in southeast Georgia who receive VA services.

The Statesboro clinic will provide primary care and mental-health services and will be open four days per week. It's a satellite clinic of the Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center in Augusta.

Barrow says he began pushing for a veterans' clinic for Statesboro in 2008. The VA announced its decision to locate a clinic in the southeast Georgia city in November 2011.

Tags: health, John Barrow, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, veterans clinics, Statesboro, Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, clinic, gpbwell