Veterans are buzzing with excitement about a new service at the Beckley VA Medical Center.

Patients are talking about free valet parking, offered by the contracted company, Park Inc., and paid for by the VAMC.

Bud Hines is a decorated veteran and one thrilled VA patient.

“I have been treated by the VA Medical Center since 1973,” Hines said. “They have been extremely good to me. I have seen them make an awful lot of changes for the better over the last 36 years, but I think this new parking service is one of the greatest assets they’ve ever had.

“You just drive up, get out of your car and they put it in the parking lot. You come out after your time with your doctor, they pick up your car, bring it right back and help you in. It’s a pretty good size parking lot, so it’s a real asset, especially to veterans who cannot walk any great distance.”

The free service has been operating since May, with six employees. Al Hertel, site supervisor for Park in Beckley, says the company assists patients who come up for valet parking with anything they need.

“It may be a wheelchair,” Hertel said, “or just helping them inside, but it’s not just parking their car. It’s a full-service kind of thing.”

One Park employee, Buster Broadnax, is a veteran himself.

“Buster’s an excellent contribution to the company because he is the only veteran we have,” Hertel said. “He can relate, so that helps.”

The supervisor said his drivers park anywhere from 30 to 50 — or more — cars a day.

“We are assisting a lot more than just parking,” Hertel added. “The center is doing flu shots now, and when they first started that, we were swamped. We were valeting 60 to 70 cars a day, in addition to assisting the veterans.”

Margaret Jones of Daniels shared her appreciation for the new service as a driver parked her car.

“My husband Casey is a veteran and he’s disabled,” she explained. “I used to bring him around here and he would have to wait on me. He has Alzheimer’s disease, so sometimes he would forget completely where he was.

“Now they bring a wheelchair out and take him right in. It’s such a big help.”

Valet drivers park vehicles from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

VAMC employees are excited about the service as well.

“I have heard a lot of great comments on the free parking from patients and employees,” Sharon Treadway, certified professional coder, said. “The veterans like it, their spouses like it and management likes it.

“People are constantly talking about how nice the drivers are. They help people in and out of their cars and with wheelchairs. We’re very pleased with it.”

The drivers also help out by donating all of their tips to local, homeless veterans.

“Some patients bring us cookies and things like that because they know we can’t keep tips,” Hertel explained. “We thought this would be a good system and a way to give back.”

Hertel said Park Inc. has contracted with eight to 10 other VA centers.

“We are the newest one they have picked up,” he said. “It seems to be a really good service, moving everybody in and out of the hospital. We stay busy.

“I’ve seen a great response so far,” he added. “Everyone seems ecstatic. Some of the folks shouldn’t be walking through the parking lot, and they need that extra help. We’re constantly hearing how much they like the service, and that it was long overdue.”