VA Secretary Denis McDonough visits Fort Campbell Soldiers and Fort Campbell VA Clinic
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough hosted a clinic tour and active-duty town hall in partnership with Blanchfield Army Community Hospital and Fort Campbell leaders on Friday, Jan. 5.
Secretary McDonough was intent on learning more about soldiers’ medical evaluation board process and their journey to connecting with their earned VA benefits.
Roughly a dozen soldiers and their spouses who are currently out-processing from Fort Campbell attended the town hall and shared their experiences.
“I connected with WARTAC [Warrior Training Advancement Course] during my out-processing,” said one soldier. “It’s a really great program that’s helped me line up a job once I get out.”
McDonough was joined by Maj. Gen. Brett Sylvia, commanding general of the 101st Airborne Division; Brig. Gen. Lance Raney, commanding general for Defense Health Network East; Col. Samuel Preston, commander of Blanchfield Army Community Hospital; and Dr. David Twillie, director of Fort Campbell Medical Readiness, and leaders from VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System (TVHS) and Nashville Veterans Benefits Administration.
Soldiers learned about multiple VA programs and services, including the Veteran Readiness and Employment program and recent PACT Act legislation, which expands health care and benefits for service members exposed to toxic exposures and substances during deployment.
“VA is here for you, and we want to build a relationship with you,” said McDonough. “You served your country and now it’s our turn to serve you.”
Prior to the town hall, McDonough and leaders from TVHS and Blanchfield Army Community Hospital toured the newly constructed Fort Campbell VA Clinic, which resides inside the hospital on the Army installation.
The new VA clinic will provide world-class primary care, mental health care, and lab services to more than 3,000 Veterans living in the Fort Campbell and Clarksville vicinity. Additionally, there will be three patient-aligned care teams working at the clinic.
As part of a resource sharing agreement between TVHS and Blanchfield Army Community Hospital, TVHS will treat Veteran patients with VA staff at Blanchfield’s Women’s Health Clinic, intensive care unit, and pain management clinic. Additionally, VA dental staff will work at Blanchfield’s dental clinic to deliver more accessible dental care to eligible Veterans.
“This partnership and resource sharing agreement is the start of something new and exciting for Veterans living in this area,” said Sean Chambers, strategic capital planning officer at TVHS. “Veterans can get world-class health care delivered right to them without the hassle of driving to Nashville VA Medical Center.”
TVHS is the seventh largest VA health care system in the nation, and the fifth fastest growing VA in the nation. Montgomery County, where part of Fort Campbell is located, has the highest number of eligible Veterans in the state of Tennessee. Nearly 32,000 Veterans are eligible for health care in Montgomery County. Currently, TVHS serves 140,000 Veterans in middle Tennessee, southern Kentucky, and northern Georgia.
The Fort Campbell VA Clinic anticipates seeing its first Veteran patient in early February, and an official ribbon cutting ceremony is slated for late February.