New VA clinic, named for Stockton native Richard Pittman, opens in French Camp

A long-awaited U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs outpatient medical center has opened in the Central Valley to provide services for veterans living in San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Calaveras, and Tuolumne counties.

The Richard A. Pittman VA Clinic is located at 6505 S. Manthey Rd. in French Camp, off Interstate 5 near San Joaquin General Hospital and the newly opened Victory Gardens — a permanent supportive housing development for unhoused veterans.

The clinic offers primary care and specialty health services, including addiction and substance abuse treatment, mental health care, post-traumatic stress disorder, smoking and tobacco cessation, and physical and occupational therapy.

It has the capacity to serve nearly 210,000 veterans in the region. Previously, local veterans had to travel to the Livermore or Palo Alto veteran affairs clinics to receive certain services.

Dedicated to the mission

Some 800 government officials, local veterans, and VA officials came together to celebrate the 158,000-square-foot clinic's opening with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday.

It was a moment that was two decades in the making, and a moment that many said wouldn't have been possible without the help of veterans' advocates.

One such veterans' advocate is Tino Adame Jr.

VA officials honored Adame — a U.S. Marine Corps veteran from Stockton — who they say played an instrumental role in garnering support and resources for the $505 million project. In recognition of his dedication and leadership, VA officials announced a new name for the road leading up to the clinic: Adame Way.

The crowd erupted in cheers and applause for Adame, but the veteran said the clinic was a result of collaboration and teamwork.

"Over the last 21 years, our community and veterans have come together, and stayed dedicated to the mission to bring greater care to the veterans of the Central Valley," Adame said. "We had countless meetings ... the Karl Ross Post 16, the Stockton City Council, and the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors. We also attended congressional hearings, and we all gave statements to the media."

Adame said he was grateful that other veterans were in attendance to witness the project's completion, but acknowledged that some were lost along the way.

"Throughout the many years of meetings, some veterans would tell me, 'Tino, by the time this clinic is built, I'll be pushing up daisies,'" Adame said. "May they rest in peace."

The man behind the name

One local veteran who advocated for the expansion of veteran health care, but did not live to see the project's completion, was Richard A. Pittman — the man who the medical center was named after.

A Stockton native, Pittman served in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War. He was awarded a Medal of Honor by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968 for showing courage when he saved his comrades who came under fire during an ambush attack.

The Medal of Honor is the highest and most prestigious honor for military service. It was first awarded in 1863. As of 2024, there have been a total of 3,536 medals awarded, according to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.

"Rick would always tell us, 'I'm no hero. The heroes are on the Vietnam Wall,'" Adame said.

Pittman is the only Medal of Honor recipient from Stockton. His career in the U.S. Marine Corps spanned 21 years. He died in 2016 at the age of 71.

At the podium, Pittman's daughter, Julie Pittman, said the ceremony felt like a "full circle moment" because her father was born in the hospital next to the newly constructed VA clinic. She tearfully told the veterans in the crowd to use their resources.

"You have all earned these services. I encourage you to always take advantage of what you've earned," Julie Pittman said. "You're entitled to health care, you're entitled to mental health care, you're entitled to housing assistance ... you have earned it."

'This is just the beginning'

As staff prepare to see their first patients on Tuesday, Michael D. Parrish, chief acquisition officer and principal executive director for the Office of Acquisition, Logistics, and Construction, said there are already plans to expand the French Camp facility. Part of those plans include integrating a 120-bed community living center and an urgent care.

"It's only part one of multi phases, and we're excited to see how the rest of it is going to be accomplished," Parrish said.

Congressman Josh Harder (D-Tracy) — who co-led legislation to name the clinic after Pittman — acknowledged there is still more work that needs to be done to improve veteran health care in San Joaquin County.

"This is just the beginning. We know that there are still cracks in our service for veterans across our area," Harder said. "We know that every single day, just across San Joaquin County, there are more than 140 homeless veterans ... folks that served our community and our country in uniform, put their life on the line, and yet, they don't have a place to sleep. That's why we were so excited to make sure that we got a brand new affordable housing project for our veterans built, just half a block away."

Additionally, Harder said one of the special services that will be offered at the facility is homeless advocacy, which will ensure veterans "have the housing and the wraparound support services to get back up on their feet."

To make an appointment or get more information about the Richard A. Pittman VA Clinic, call (209) 946-3400 or visit va.gov/northern-california-health-care/locations/stockton-va-clinic.

Record reporter Hannah Workman covers news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at hworkman@recordnet.com or on Twitter @byhannahworkman. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.

This article originally appeared on The Record: After 20 years, new Richard A. Pittman VA Clinic opens in French Camp