A new cardiology program through the US. Department of Veterans Affairs’ John J. Pershin Medical Center is bringing specialized care closer to home for rural veterans, with services now available at the West Plains VA clinic, 1418 Doctors Drive.
The Cardiology Access and Resources for Delivery of Integrated Outreach to Veterans Network — or CARDIO-VET — allows qualifying veterans to receive cardiac care locally instead of traveling long distances to St. Louis or out-of-network community providers.
In addition to West Plains, the program is currently operating at the Cape Girardeau and Farmington VA clinics, as well as the main facility in Poplar Bluff.
Nurse practitioner Alice Hall noted that the program provides comprehensive cardiac assessments, diagnoses and follow-up care right in the local clinics.
"To stay within the VA system, a lot of times the patients would have to go to St. Louis or other bigger cities, so there would be quite a bit of travel," Hall said.
Keeping care within the VA network also improves patient outcomes, according to registered nurse Kerri Joiner.
"If a veteran stays within the VA system, they are less likely to have split care and they are better taken care of," Joiner said.
For veterans like 77-year-old Albert Lindsey of Fredericktown, the program offers a closer, more consistent alternative to community care referrals. Lindsey, a Vietnam War veteran, enrolled in the program after experiencing an abnormally racing heart and sharp chest pains. He credited the local CARDIO-VET team with listening to his concerns and diagnosing the problem after previous non-VA tests came back normal.
"It helps me immensely, both mentally and physically, and it costs me less," Lindsey said of the reduced travel and localized care.
For more information about the CARDIO-VET program or other services offered through the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center, call 573-686-4151 or visit www.va.gov/poplar-bluff-health-care.
