BUTLER TWP — VA Butler Healthcare will officially break ground on its new Health Care Center at 10 a.m. April 5.

Construction is expected to be completed in the summer of 2014 and the facility is to open in 2015, according to a Friday news release by the VA.

The new 168,000-square-foot, three-story Health Care Center will provide primary care, specialty care, mental health, dental, diagnostic, laboratory, pathology, radiology, podiatry, optometry, pharmacy, physical rehabilitation, and women’s health services.

The VA’s more than 500 employees will move to the new facility on the 21-acre Deshon Woods property when it is complete.

It also will be equipped for expansion into telemedicine equipment for telehealth, clinical video telehealth, teledermatology, teleretinal exams, teleaudiology, enhanced physical therapy with hydrotherapy, and inclusion of a wellness center.

“The Health Care Center is an exciting milestone, and one that preserves VA’s established presence as a valued asset for our veterans in the Butler community conveniently located adjacent to the existing property,” director John Gennaro said in the release.

“The new Health Care Center will have an efficient design that is veteran-centric. Veterans will be easily able to navigate the HCC, and all services will be provided on two floors.”

During construction, veterans’ services will continue uninterrupted at the current facility, which will remain in use once the HCC is complete. VA Butler completed a new 56-bed domiciliary in the fall and is building a new, 60-bed Community Living Center. In June 2012, the VA selected Westar Development of Aurora, Ohio, to construct and manage the facility. The VA will lease the facility, from Westar, for about $6.6 million annually during a 20-year term.