Sevier County and surrounding area veterans will soon be able to receive medical care much closer to home.
The Department of Veterans Affairs announced Thursday the planned renovation of part of the former Fort Sanders Hospital in Sevierville.
They say the new clinic will serve about 2,200 veterans.
County Veterans Affair Office Paul Whaley says it's a much needed service.
With many aging veterans in the area, he says proximity of medical care is key.
"For an 85 to 90-year-old World War II vet, going to Knoxville or Johnson City would be an adventure. Something that they'd prefer not to do. So they're deprived of healthcare," said Whaley.
He says the VA will rent a portion of the facility from the county for about $1 a year.
For many patients the development has the potential to put healthcare just minutes away, as opposed to over an hour.
The news of the clinic comes after years of effort on the behalf of veterans groups to bring services to the area.
Patients must get a referral from their current VA doctor to become a patient at the clinic.
A ribbon cutting is scheduled for September 18. Whaley says they hope to begin providing services by the end of September.