Prospects for a community-based outreach clinic for veterans to be located in Austin remain in limbo.

According to Norman Hecimovich, ESGR region chairman for District No. 6, he has personally petitioned First District Congressman Tim Walz (Democrat-Minnesota) for his assistance.

In return, Walz informed Hecimovich Monday, the decision where to locate the clinic is only in the “preliminary process.”

The Department of Veterans Affairs will make that decision.

Walz, a 24-year member of the Army National Guard, is a member of the House veterans’ affairs committee.

“I was very pleased,” he told Hecimovich in a letter, “when the VA announced it will be placing a new community-based outpatient clinic in what it calls the ‘south central border region’ of Minnesota.”

“The new CBOC in southern Minnesota will certainly improve many of our veterans’ access to health care,” Walz said.

According to Walz, the VA Medical Center in Minneapolis has informed him the decision where to located the clinic is still in the “preliminary stages.”

The congressman promised he would continue to “advocate” for veterans and for locating the clinic in “southern Minnesota,” but did not specify a location.

“Ultimately,” Walz said, “it is up to VA to decide where the CBOC will be located.”

Wayne Madson, Mower County veterans service officer, is another supporter of locating the clinic in Austin.

According to Madson, drawing a 50-mile radius around Austin would put the clinic within the coverage area of thousands of veterans in northern Iowa as well as southern Minnesota. According to Hecimovich, all local supporters can do now is to “wait and see,” what the VA decides.

A local committee of volunteers who support locating the clinic in Austin continues to meet.