Friday, October 9, 2009 6:10 PM CDT
Mattoon VA clinic set to open in less than 2 weeks
By HERB MEEKER, Staff Writer
hmeeker@jg-tc.com
MATTOON — The Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic will open Oct. 21 in this city.
However, veterans eligible for VA health care are required to call (217) 554-5139 to schedule appointments for the new clinic at 501 Lake Land Blvd., Suite D, in Mattoon. This clinic will be tied to the VA medical center in Danville.
“It’s very important they call before coming for the first day. This is a new facility,” said Dr. Suneela Vegunta of the VA Illiana Health Care System.
Up to 2,000 veterans are expected to sign up with the new clinic that offers primary care/preventive medicine, mental health, women’s health services, nutrition education and an on-site lab.
But VA Illiana system Director Michael Hamilton said veterans will find the clinic is user-friendly.
“Each patient will be assigned a primary care provider and the staff will get to know them. There will be nothing different from this and the private sector,” Hamilton said.
And he assured veterans they don’t have to carry in boxes of documents due to red tape.
“They just need one sheet of paper. That’s their DD 214 form or their discharge papers. If they are in the system anywhere in the country, we can pull up their records,” Hamilton said.
The first visit will require filling out some forms, but Vegunta said calls ahead to the number listed above could assist with confirming eligibility requirements.
The staff of the new VA clinic will include employees in nursing, lab tech and dietary categories, as well as psychology, social work and administrative, in addition to the physicians. The anticipated number of outpatient visits is 10,714 due to additional visits by the core of veteran patients, Hamilton said.
“We are excited about the opportunity to provide health care services to veterans in Coles County and the surrounding area,” Hamilton said.
The Mattoon facility was added to the system that now includes community-based outpatient clinics in Peoria, Springfield and Decatur of Central Illinois, and West Lafayette in west central Indiana.
“We have a strategic goal for all of Illinois and part of that was to provide a clinic within 30 miles of each county in our area,” Hamilton said. “Having a clinic in Mattoon takes care of the southern division in our region.”
A VA clinic is also located in Effingham, but it is tied to another medical center. Veterans have options on which system they prefer to use for medical services.
Some veterans have misconceptions on whether they are eligible for medical services through VA, officials acknowledged. Veterans with questions on eligibility can call 1-800-320-8387, and use extensions 45380, 45369, or 45209.
Appointments to the new Mattoon VA outpatient clinic can be arranged by calling (217) 554-5139. The Web site for the Illiana VA system is www.danville.va.gov.
Contact Herb Meeker at hmeeker@jg-tc.com or 238-6869.
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Locke wrote on Oct 8, 2009 10:56 PM:
For information related to VBA disbility claims, call 1-800-827-1000.
For information related to VBA educational benefits, call 1-888-442-4551. "