Access. It can make all the difference in the world. The best health care means nothing if you cannot get to it. With that in mind, the Veterans Administration is rolling out a program aimed at vets who live in rural areas -- areas often out of easy reach of health care professionals and hospitals.
In early 2009, a group of mobile health clinics will come online servicing twenty-four counties in six states. The four RV style vehicles will bring health care and mental health care to vets who find distance an obstacle in procuring treatment.
Via Market Watch:
"VA is committed to providing primary care and mental health care for veterans in rural areas," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. "Health care should be based upon the needs of patients, not their ability to travel to a clinic or medical center."The program, entitled Rural Mobile Health Care Clinics, is in its early stages. Vehicles are still being acquired and outfitted with an eye towards a 2009 launch date for the program. Deployment of the mobile clinics will be based on a variety of factors including need for access, community collaboration, and the degree to which the units will expand the variety of services available.
SOURCE: "VA Mobile Health Care Clinics Reach Rural Veterans" 08/27/08
photo courtesy of Matt McGee, used under its Creative Commons license
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.