Central California VA celebrates new expansion

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Central California VA's marked the grand opening of its newest addition on Friday.

The facility will help serve even more veterans in a state of the art small house model -- meaning they'll be in a home-like environment that is much more intimate

"Our patients are always going to be more comfortable, and they now have some privacy. We have private baths for them," said Dr. Paulette Ginier.

Six new bedrooms were added, each one with comfort in mind. The building is environmentally friendly, outfitted with solar panels and state of the art boilers. There's also more open areas to accommodate friends and family.

"We'll have a couch and chairs and TV there, and that is something that allows visitation, and you just feel more like you are at home," said Dr. Ginier.

The project was all completed a month ahead of schedule, but the VA's work is still far from done. This is only the first step of a multi-phase project. When it's all completed, the living center will be able to house 84 more veterans and help many others.