VA’s CARDIO-VET program brings quality cardiac care closer to home
A new cardiology program at the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center, and three of its outpatient clinics, is bringing quality care for rural Veterans closer to where they live.
Under VA’s Cardiology Access and Resources for Delivery of Integrated Outreach to Veterans Network (CARDIO-VET for short) program, Veterans who qualify can be seen in one of the medical center’s outpatient clinics close to where they live instead of having to drive long distances to St. Louis or elsewhere. Currently, the CARDIO-VET program is available for patients at the Cape Girardeau, Farmington, and West Plains VA 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,” explained Nurse Practitioner Alice Hall. “This program allows them to be seen and treated in the local clinic with assessment, diagnosis, and follow-up.”
“If a Veteran stays within the VA system, they are less likely to have split care and they are better taken care of,” added Registered Nurse Kerri Joiner.
Albert Lindsey, a Fredericktown, Mo. resident and Vietnam War Veteran, is an early enrollee in the CARDIO-VET program, coming to VA after more than a decade of dismissing feelings of his heart racing as normal.
“My heart was racing and I could actually feel it,” the 77-year-old Lindsey explained. “If I was startled or excited, instead of just normal adrenaline flow, I could feel it racing. Plus, I was feeling sharp pains every now and then.”
At the time, the VA medical center had to send cardiology patients out for community care, and Lindsey was referred to a local provider. “They did tests, and even though I could feel the racing, they told me everything came back normal.”
Looking for a better solution, he sought help from his VA primary care provider, who informed him the facility had just recently begun rolling out the CARDIO-VET program locally. Lindsey jumped at the chance to enroll.
“That first CARDIO-VET appointment was about four months ago at the Farmington VA Clinic, and it was an eye opener and very educational,” Lindsey said of the experience. “VA, God bless them, they kept checking and probing and finally figured out that I’ve got a problem.”
Hall and Registered Nurse Kerri Joiner “explained it so clearly that anyone could understand it,” said Lindsey. “They were very respectful and listened to every word I said. They wanted to get to know me and what my concerns were, and they were really genuine, with no sugar coating when they spoke about what was wrong with me.”
Lindsey’s CARDIO-VET experience so far has been “nothing but positive” and he’s looking forward to continuing it. And not having to drive far for an appointment has taken a weight off his shoulders. “It helps me immensely, both mentally and physically, and it costs me less,” he said.
For more information about CARDIO-VET and other programs and services at the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center, call
Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Office of Rural Health (ORH) CARDIO-VET Enterprise-Wide Initiative