Ground Broken on New Day in VA/DoD ‘Joint’ Health Care

Since 06-02-05

Story Number: NNS050511-27
Release Date: 5/11/2005 9:00:00 PM

By Rod Duren, Naval Hospital Pensacola Public Affairs

PENSACOLA, Fla. (NNS) -- The Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Deputy Director of Naval Medicine joined a distinguished list of “shovel turners” here May 9 to mark the official groundbreaking for the Joint Ambulatory Care Clinic (JACC) - the newest VA/Department of Defense cooperative venture and what will be the largest clinic of its kind, when completed in 2007, in the VA healthcare system.

New VA Secretary James Nicholson, making his first visit to the northern Gulf Coast since taking the reins in February, said that when the JACC is completed, the “VA, along with the DoD as a partner, will be able to deliver world class care to those who serve and have served” the nation “with 21st century medical technology.”

The 200,000 square foot joint clinic, which received congressional funding for construction, was first proposed as a joint recommendation by Naval Hospital (NH) Pensacola and the VA-Gulf Coast Health Care System in Biloxi, Miss. The commanding officer and VA director signed a concept of operations Sept. 27, 2002, to propose the establishment of a Joint Ambulatory Care Clinic near Corry Station. The proposed plan was forwarded up the VA and Navy Medicine chains of command for review.

With the official groundbreaking of the JACC, this “reflects the latest chapter of the relationship between the VA and Department of Defense,” said Rear Adm. Dennis Woofter, deputy director of Naval Medicine at the Pentagon, “and it’s getting better and better."

“The clinic will provide greater efficiencies and cost effectiveness for both health care systems,” Woofter said, but most importantly, it will “improve access to [health] care to those who have worn and are wearing the uniform” of the U.S. military.

The new clinic, which will more than double the space of the current VA facility in Pensacola, will provide additional medical assets from both the VA and Naval Hospital (NH) Pensacola, including improved testing and diagnostic capabilities with new state-of-the-art radiological equipment, physical therapy services and jointly-pursued specialty care convenient for patients and cost effective to the government.

Joining Nicholson and Woofter at the official groundbreaking were B.J. Penn, assistant secretary of the Navy for installations and environment; U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller of Florida; Dana Quel, VA Facilities; and Joe Valesco, representing the winning contract bid with Heery/PMC Contractors.

Additionally, NH Pensacola will continue to provide inpatient, emergency, and associated outpatient and ancillary care to VA patients. The Navy Medicine facility has provided inpatient and surgical care to specified VA patients officially since 2001 on a space-available basis. Though the hospital increased services to the VA, it has been transparent to its primary-mission patients on active duty, military retirees and both their families.

The Navy hospital’s physical therapy facilities at Corry Station, as well as the active-duty staff and student health care clinic, will relocate to the JACC upon completion in about two years.

From an active-duty medical staff perspective, “the Corry [health clinic] is excited about the opportunity to provide services to staff and students at Corry Station in a state-of-the-art facility designed totally with the patient in mind,” said the clinic’s Officer in Charge, Cmdr. Holly Bennett. “Combining services in one building will be both convenient and efficient for our patients, taking less time away from the classroom, training and readiness.”

For related news, visit the Naval Hospital Pensacola, Fla. Navy NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/nh_pensacola.