Grand opening of VA Outpatient Clinic in Carbondale Nov. 8 | Community Spirit
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MARION, IL (KFVS) - The Marion VA Medical Center has announced the grand opening of a new Community Based Outpatient Clinic in Carbondale on November 8 at 1 p.m.
The medical center says the new clinic features over 9,900 square feet of space dedicated to serving veterans and their healthcare needs. Based on the Patient Aligned Care Team, or PACT model, Marion VA Medical Center Director Paul Bockelman says he feels this clinic is just another example of how the VA is putting the needs of veterans first.
“The PACT model is all about the Veteran—what he or she needs, what is convenient for them, and not what’s most convenient for the provider,” Bockelman said. “We really kept that in mind when we designed this facility. Veterans walk in and go to their PACT pod, or area, and receive all their care there, instead of having to walk from office to office in order to get the job done.”
The new clinic is divided into office clusters, or “PACT Pods.” Each pod houses a team of providers for patients. That team includes a primary care provider, RN case manager, clinical and administrative staff, as well as other clinical services necessary to meet the health care needs of each Veteran. The central member of each team is the Veteran. The job of the provider team is to revolve around the Veteran’s needs in order to provide the most easily accessible and comprehensive care possible in a timely manner. As Bockelman says, “it’s the ultimate in patient centered care.”
The Marion VA Medical Center System provides healthcare services to over 42,000 Veterans living in Southern Illinois, Northwestern Kentucky, and Western Indiana. The system includes a full service Medical Center in Marion, Illinois; a Health Care Center in Evansville, Indiana, and 10 Community Based Outpatient Clinics, located in Hanson, Mayfield, Owensboro, and Paducah, Kentucky; Vincennes, Indiana; and Effingham, Mount Vernon, Harrisburg, and now Carbondale, Illinois.
The VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic in Carbondale began seeing patients Oct. 29, and currently provides primary care services to Veterans in the area. A grand opening ceremony is planned at the clinic, located at 1130 East Walnut Street in Carbondale, on Nov. 8 at 1 p.m.
For more information, contact Laura Schafsnitz in the Marion VA Public Affairs office at 618-997-5311, ext. 54819, or email laura.schafsnitz@va.gov.
Copyright 2012 KFVS. All rights reserved.
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