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"VA's commitment is to provide the best quality care to veterans, regardless of their address," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. "These clinics are a major step toward fulfilling that pledge to increase access to care for veterans living in rural areas."
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The clinics provide primary care services, case management and mental health services. Each outreach clinic will be part of a VA network, maintaining VA's quality standards and access to larger VA facilities for specialized needs.
The 10 new clinics include a facility recently put in operation in Aroostook County, Maine.
Scheduled to begin operation this October are facilities in:
-- Houston County, Ga.;
-- Juneau County, Alaska; and
-- Wasco County, Ore.
Clinics to be operational by August 2009 are in:
-- Winnemucca, Nev.;
-- Yreka, Calif.;
-- Utuado, Puerto Rico;
-- Lagrange, Texas;
-- Montezuma Creek, Utah; and
-- Manistique, Mich.
"VA is constantly monitoring our veteran population. Where we see a need to improve access to care, we act on it," said Dr. Michael J. Kussman, VA Under Secretary for Health.
The Department's recent outreach to veterans in rural areas includes:
-- Creation of a 13-member Veterans Rural Health Advisory Committee to advise Peake on issues affecting veterans in rural areas (www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1511);
-- Announcement of the roll-out in early 2009 of four new mobile health clinics to serve veterans in 24 predominately rural counties (www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1552);
-- Announcement of three new Veterans Rural Health Resource Centers -- in White River Junction, Vt.; Iowa City, Iowa; and Salt Lake City -- to develop practices and products that will improve health care for veterans in rural areas (www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1548);
-- Nearly tripling the mileage reimbursement -- from 11 cents per mile to 28.5 cents per mile -- paid to veterans who travel significant distances to receive VA health care (www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1447); and
-- Creation of a "Travel Nurse Corps" to augment existing nursing staff in needed areas (www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1466).
SOURCE U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
