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By Christopher Brooke
http://www.galaxgazette.com/cgi-bin/storyviewnew.cgi?055+News.2008715-2424-055-055007.Full+News
HILLSVILLE — Salem Veterans' Medical Center administrators and Valor
Healthcare officials said at a ribbon-cutting and dedication Monday that they
want to offer the quality service through their clinic at Hillsville.
The Hillsville veterans’ outpatient care site operated by Valor has been
open since last fall.
On Monday, people like director John Patrick of the Salem facility, Ninth District Rep. Rick
Boucher, and Valor president Ray Lanier came to celebrate convenient,
high-quality care for veterans living in Carroll and neighboring counties.
"Access to health care is a significant need for everyone," said
Patrick, the keynote speaker. "I am proud to say that the VA is responding
to that need on behalf of veterans here in Hillsville."
Thanks to the federal agency's partnership with Valor, the outpatient clinic
at Hillsville has become a place where 1,800 veterans have already sought
primary health care and general mental health service, he said.
(The clinic is designed to serve up to 6,000 veterans.)
The service network for veterans is based in Salem,
and serves 300,000 veterans annually from North Carolina
to West Virginia.
Ways are being sought to continue expanding offerings to those in Carroll
and Grayson counties and beyond, Patrick said. That includes locating another
community-based clinic in Wytheville by the end of 2009.
The objective is to find how to deliver the highest quality health care to
veterans in a way that meets unique needs of those who served their country in
uniform, he said.
Health care services provided at the Hillsville clinic include physical
exams, on-site lab services, prescriptions, immunizations and x-rays, the
director noted. The health care planning is holistic and involves families in
the process.
The Salem veterans facility wants to reach
out to all veterans and provide them with "exemplary health care,"
whether they are just returning home from Iraq or served honorably in other
conflicts, Patrick stressed.
"That's what you have earned by virtue of your service in uniform to
our nation."
Excellence is the standard, he said, and good isn't good enough for the
veterans.
Patrick noted that the Mid-Atlantic network of the Veterans Administration
ranks number one out of 21 veterans’ health networks across the country, based
on a series of tough performance measures.
And VA officials are trying to improve the veterans' experiences by adding
new clinics and reducing waits for appointment times, he said.
Patrick singled out Rep. Boucher for praise in his support for the clinic.
"Bottom line, our veterans have earned excellent care — and that's what
we're delivering here at Hillsville and throughout our network."
Establishing a clinic at Hillsville is a great thing for veterans in the
region, Boucher told a crowd that included veterans representing many service
agencies, including the Grover King Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1115, who
posted the colors.
While there are VA hospitals in Salem and Johnson City, Tenn.,
the distance between those facilities and thousands of veterans in the Ninth
District can consume most of a day’s travel to visit, the congressman noted.
Making the situation more complicated is winter weather.
"The result of this inconvenience is that many veterans in the area
simply forego receiving the primary medical care, which promotes good
health," said Boucher.
Veterans could develop a more serious condition by putting off needed care,
he said.
Boucher has long advocated community-based services, and said it would save
the VA expenses in the long run by promoting good health practices among
veterans and lessening the serious illnesses that its facility has to treat.
The Ninth Congressional District now has 15 clinics for veterans — more than
any other congressional district in Virginia,
he said.
Boucher said the country has a responsibility towards veterans to ensure the
best medical care in convenient settings.
After the remarks, officials cut a red, white and blue
ribbon with a pair of giant scissors provided by Hillsville to commemorate the
opening of the clinic.
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