VA and DOD officials unveil first-of-its-kind VA clinic in Kentucky and Tennessee region
VA Under Secretary for Health, Dr. Shereef Elnahal, and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, Dr. Lester Martinez-Lopez, celebrated the expansion of Veteran health care and their VA-Department of Defense partnership Friday, Feb. 23 at the Fort Campbell VA Clinic ribbon cutting ceremony.
This VA-DOD health clinic is the first-of-its-kind in Kentucky and the second in the state of Tennessee.
“First of all, we’re going to be able to serve thousands of Veterans right here on Fort Campbell in a much more conveniently located placed for them. We’ll be able to deliver the needed primary care, behavioral health and so many other types of care to Veterans here,” said Elnahal.
Located on the state line between Kentucky and Tennessee, the Fort Campbell VA Clinic is housed inside Blanchfield Army Community Hospital on Fort Campbell Army Post and staffed by VA health care professionals. Nearly 3,000 Veterans now have increased access to VA health care such as primary care, mental health care, Whole Health services like acupuncture and physical therapy, blood draw services, and social work services.
“This allows us to provide more primary care for our Veterans that live here in the area. It’s really unique in our ability to do that,” said Daniel Dücker, Executive Director of VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System.
The Fort Campbell and Clarksville areas have the largest and most rapidly growing Veteran population in Tennessee. Currently, Montgomery County has more than 21,000 Veterans enrolled in VA health care and another 29,100 Veterans are untethered and eligible for VA care. Women Veterans account for 19% of Veterans currently enrolled.
Through the PACT Act, VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System will establish three new outpatient clinics by fiscal year 2027 to further address the needs of nearly 94,000 Veterans in Clarksville, Cookeville, and Nashville areas, who are eligible for PACT Act benefits and care.
As part of the partnership, VA and DOD will also collaborate to expand specialty access for Veterans at Fort Campbell Army Post, adding dental care, women’s health care, intensive care, and pain management.
Previously, Veterans living in the northwestern Tennessee and southwestern Kentucky area traveled to the Nashville VA Medical Center or a community care provider for primary and specialty care.
“That’s the most important reason we’re doing it is to expand our footprint,” said Elnahal. “I think this is just a really effective way to use resources and assets that already exist. The end goal here is to just expand access to care for Vets.”
VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System is one of 19 hospitals in the state of Tennessee to earn a 4-star rating in the annual Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital ratings. Nationally, nearly 70% of VA hospitals received 4 or 5 stars in the annual CMS Hospital ratings, compared to just 41% of non-VA hospitals, and more than 91% of Veterans trust VA with their care.
For more information on VA health care for Veterans in Kentucky and Tennessee, visit VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare.