U.S. Rep. Martha Roby (R-AL) was joined by officials from the Veterans Health Administration (VA) and leaders from the Alabama hospital community on Thursday to kick off the first steps toward building a network of community health care providers meant to improve services for Alabama veterans.
The roundtable, made possible by the Alabama Hospital Association, allowed stakeholders to discuss the challenges in making health care delivery systems work in tandem. Among the attendees of the meeting were leaders from the Alabama Hospital Association; CEOs representing hospitals from Central and South Alabama; local, regional and national VA officials; private practice administrators from throughout the district; and a Health Net representative. Health Net specializes in connecting veteran patients with outside health care providers.
“Today’s meeting with representatives from Alabama’s health care community and VA officials was a productive first step in improving local health care options for our veterans,” Roby said. “Why should a veteran in Troy or Greenville or Dothan have to drive all the way to Montgomery or Tuskegee or Atlanta for a doctor’s appointment? Along the way they are going to pass half a dozen hospitals that could provide the same care. Why not allow veterans to access care closer to home if that’s what they want to do?
“Allowing veterans to access care in their hometowns just makes sense, and I appreciate everyone’s willingness to come to the table so we can work through how to build a network that delivers for those who depend on the VA.”
The Alabama medical community has been willing and eager to aid the VA in meeting increased demand, Roby said, but long-time disconnects between outside providers and the VA continue to hinder collaboration. Bringing all of the parties to the same table to work through the challenges, however, ended up being very productive.
“I’m really optimistic that by working together we can build a Community Veterans Health Network that improves services in a big way for Alabama veterans,” Roby said. “I see this hybrid system as the future of VA healthcare, and why not start it here?
“Wouldn’t it be something if here, in Central Alabama, where we were home to the worst wait times in the country, we build something that became a model for the rest of the country? Wouldn’t it be something if, one day, instead of looking at Alabama as the example for how things go wrong, the rest of the country looked here as a model for how to improve services for veterans?
“We have a long way to go, but I’m optimistic.”