Thousands of North Country veterans now have a new home for their health care needs, as the new VA Clinic opens in Watertown. The clinic moved from Carthage where it's been for six years. As our Brian Dwyer reports, people in Carthage are still upset with the loss, but are moving forward.

CARTHAGE, N.Y. -- So it goes for the average soldier. Once you get used to that daily grind, something happens forcing change.

This is no different. Instead of going to Carthage, the staple for years, veterans seeking medical care now have to go to the CANI building in Watertown. The clinic there opened Monday.

Officials at Carthage Area Hospital are still reeling from the loss. They feel they did good work and are surprised at losing a bid they claim was $600,000 less than that of the winner, Valor Health Care out of Washington, D.C., which moved the clinic to Watertown.

"No apparent issues were brought forth," Carthage Area Hospital Primary Care Administrator Zachary Chapman said of the Carthage run VA Clinic. "We were meeting the accessibility terms for new patients and follow up patients. We provided same day access for our patients. Everybody seemed very pleased."

"We're saddened because we think we've done a good job on this. We feel there's a lot of hidden issues and a hidden agenda through the VA program," Carthage Area Hospital Administrator Walter Becker added. "We are fighting it because we feel we're right."

A fight, they say they're hoping will, but know it probably won't, bring the clinic back. But it could do something else -- give them a much needed piece of mind.

But with every end comes a new beginning. The hospital converted the space into a primary care facility to serve the everyday needs of the whole community. And confidence in the facility is high, as all but one employee at the former clinic chose to stay on at the hospital.

"A lot of us have been here with Carthage over 20 years," Carthage Area Hospital LPN Teresa O'Dell said. "A lot of us nurses and the girls up front. We wanted to stay with Carthage. That's our home."

"This is going to provide a great need," Becker said. "But the veterans were special. We always tried to do a good job for them. We're so close to Drum. We worked hard at it and we did a good job."

Valor Health says the company feels fortunate and grateful to be chosen for the new clinic. They say they'd like to think they were chosen for what they can offer veterans. It hopes to make the change an easy one.

We left a message with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, but we haven't heard back as of yet.

Meanwhile, Carthage Area Hospital is still recommending all veterans go to the new Watertown clinic and make sure they get the care they need.