Sen. Bernie Sanders announced on August 1, 2026, that two new state-of-the-art Veterans Affairs outpatient clinics will be built in South Burlington, Vermont, and West Chesterfield, New Hampshire, to serve Vermont veterans.
The South Burlington facility will be a 36,000-square-foot clinic located at Technology Park, replacing the current Burlington clinic, which Sanders described as “the state’s busiest.” This new clinic will begin seeing patients in spring 2029 and will offer a significant expansion of services for veterans across Vermont.
The second facility will be a 27,000-square-foot clinic in West Chesterfield, New Hampshire, located at 99 NH-9. This clinic will combine services from the existing Brattleboro, Vermont, and Keene, New Hampshire, clinics into one larger facility, also opening in spring 2029. Sanders noted that the location was chosen specifically to be “right near the bridge to Brattleboro to ensure Vermont veterans don’t need to travel far to see their doctor.”
A key innovation in the South Burlington clinic will be the addition of dental care services—the first VA facility in Vermont to provide this offering. In a 2022 statement, Sanders had emphasized his commitment to expanding dental care through the VA, calling it one of three priority improvements for veterans’ healthcare access.
These clinics will serve Vermont’s veteran population, which is currently served by existing community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs) in Bennington, Brattleboro, Burlington, Newport, and Rutland, collectively serving nearly 19,000 Vermont veterans. The new facilities represent part of a broader national expansion: the VA has opened 34 new health care facilities since January 20, 2025, according to recent reports from the White River Junction VA Healthcare System.
Sanders, a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and former chair of the committee, emphasized his role in advancing the expansion. “As the former Chair and a senior member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, I am very pleased to announce these two new, state-of-the-art clinics for veterans to get their primary healthcare,” Sanders said in his announcement. The new facilities will provide primary care, specialty treatment, and mental health services, functioning as satellites of the VA medical center in White River Junction.
Sanders has long advocated for expanding veterans’ healthcare access in Vermont. His work on the Veterans’ Affairs Committee has focused on improving services for the state’s veteran population, particularly in rural areas where access to care has been a persistent challenge. The Sanders-Grassley bill to penalize Pentagon for failed audits reflects his broader commitment to fiscal accountability in defense spending and veterans’ resource allocation.
Sources
- Senator Bernie Sanders official press release — announcement of two new VA clinics in South Burlington and West Chesterfield, with facility details, opening dates, and Sanders’ comments
- Vermont Business Magazine — coverage of the clinic announcement, facility specifications, and service consolidation details
- White River Junction VA Healthcare System — information on VA’s nationwide expansion of 34 new health care facilities since January 2025
- Congress.gov — Sanders’ current committee assignments and role on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee
