Congressman Roscoe Bartlett Announces New Clinic for Veterans Coming to Fort Detrick
Commitment to Bring Health Care Closer to More Veterans is “Great Good News”
Washington, May 25, 2007 -
Congressman Roscoe Bartlett today announced the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has committed to open a new community-based outpatient clinic on Fort Detrick which will enhance access to VA health care for veterans of Maryland. The clinic was among 38 approved in 22 states, including one at Andrews Air Force Base, by Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary James Nicholson.
“This commitment to bring better health care closer to many of our veterans in the region around Fort Detrick is great, good news. It is the culmination of several years of my working with the VA to have our health care system for our veterans modernized,” said Congressman Bartlett. “An estimated 2726 existing patients and 342 new patients will no longer have to travel to the VA hospital in Martinsburg, West Virginia for many medical services.”
The new facilities, called community-based outpatient clinics, or CBOCs, will become operational in 2007 and 2008. Local VA officials will keep communities and their veterans informed of milestones in the creation of the new CBOCs.
“VA is committed to providing world-class health care to the men and women who have served this nation,” VA Secretary Jim Nicholson said. “These new clinics will bring VA’s top-notch care closer to the veterans who have earned it.”
The new clinic to be opened at Fort Detrick will be part of the VISN 5, VA Capitol Health Care Network with the Martinsburg, WVA VA Medical Center as its parent facility. It is expected to be operational within 12 months. It will be staffed by VA personnel in a shared space arrangement with the Department of Defense.
Services at the new VA CBOC at Fort Detrick will include comprehensive primary care, health promotion, maintenance, routine/urgent care procedures and education. Mental Health Services will provide screening and prevention for mental disorders, and diagnostic evaluation for mental illness and substance abuse; psychotherapy and or psychosocial counseling for mental disorders, and referral for inpatient or residential care, direct care, or access to consultation for special emphasis and or complex problems. Routine specialty care consults will normally be referred to the parent facility. Basic x-rays will be delivered by in-house and invasive radiology or more complex diagnostic imaging procedures will be referred to the parent VAMC. Emergent care will be obtained at the nearest hospital. Laboratory services will be provided in-house. Parent VAMC, through the CMOP, will provide all routine medications. It is anticipated that 2726 existing patients and 342 new patients will be treated at the CBOC.
The CBOC is established to improve access to veterans in rural areas to primary and specialty care. The CBOC will be located in an area that will greatly reduce the veteran's drive time. The CBOCs highest priority is to improve access to care for high priority enrolled veterans. Improved quality of care will reduce waiting times for follow-up care, in addition to improve waiting times at the parent hospital. The CBOC will be serving patients in medically underserved areas. The CBOC is on the 2004 CARES Priority list.
With 153 hospitals and more than 700 community-based clinics, VA operates the largest integrated health care system in the country. VA’s health care budget of more than $34 billion this year will provide health care to about 5.5 million people during nearly 800,000 hospitalizations and 60 million outpatient visits.
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