VA Mobile Clinic serves remote areas

VA Mobile Clinic serves remote areas outside metropolitan Spokane

By Darrel Maddux

AMERICAN LEGION DEPARTMENT PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE

The VA Mobile Clinic focuses on providing primary and secondary care, with emphasis on preventive health and chronic disease management, for veterans living in remote areas outside the metropolitan Spokane area.

The mobile clinic is outfitted with two exam rooms and a pre-exam area. The rear exam room is used both by Mark Sheldon, RN, to take vitals and blood samples and Miguel Solis, social worker, to assist with information on community resources and VA approved services.

The front exam room is where Jayne Shoda, ARNP, provides primary and secondary care. Bob Sonderman, engineer, drives the bus, handles scheduling and performs other administrative duties. Kaitlyn Liss, medical service assistant at Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center, calls patients and makes sure all medical records are in order.

The current bus was built in 2013 and it uses Cradlepoint©, a cloud-based wireless broadband network to connect to cell towers with the VA Medical Center computer system.

The mobile clinic travels on a schedule of Week 1 to Moses Lake and Week 4 to Moscow and Osburn, Idaho, and Pullman, Wash. You can find them at Stand Downs, colleges, natural disasters and other events, which are published on the VA webpage. Their most recent travels were to administer COVID-19 vaccinations in Libby, Sandpoint, Omak and Okanogan.

The VA Mobile Clinic is in regular contact with Veteran Service Officers and the Vet Center, where they obtain referrals and contact information on homeless veterans who have relocated.

It is a big challenge for the clinic to locate and to encourage veterans in rural areas to use their services. They have up to 240 veterans on a scheduled twice a year appointment calendar, but see some on a more frequent schedule.

The clinic is not a walk-in clinic; however, walk-ins are evaluated when they come to events or scheduled stops. They are limited to only serving veterans who are in the VA system, so the initial visit might only consist of obtaining the DD214 form (Certificate of Release or Discharge) and handling the application process. It is recommended that veterans call (509) 434-7026 prior to visiting the mobile clinic. This allows the VA time to set up the veteran in the system and to make an appointment at a scheduled stop.

The clinic has been successful in the past by treating veterans who have not a seen a doctor in a very long time and identifying cancer or other serious medical conditions. These ailments left unchecked would have resulted in life shortening consequences.

Not all veterans in rural areas are good candidates for VA Mobile Clinic care because some require frequent and more intensive or specialized medical care. The VA can approve care by specialists or primary care physicians in a veteran’s community and most costs are covered by the VA. The copayments work the same way as if a patient is receiving care at a VA facility.

These outsourced medical providers are usually approved when the VA Medical Center does not provide the services, or the VA Mobile Clinic is unable to provide the needed care in a veteran’s community.

Eligibility for receiving community care must meet at least one of six qualifying criteria and the veteran must be enrolled in VA health care or must be eligible for VA care. Appointments are usually made by a VA staff member and are with an approved community provider. The Referral Coordination Team (RCT) was created in the Mission Act to locate community providers and to make appointments. Short term prescriptions up to 14 days can be filled by a non-VA pharmacy, but all other prescriptions are always filled by a VA Pharmacy.

The social worker on the VA Mobile Clinic Bus is a great source for information on Veteran-Directed Home Care, the Standard Medical Benefits Package, referrals to community resources, obtaining medical equipment, placements in care facilities, financial assistance, crisis intervention and other services. Once in the VA system, every veteran receiving VA medical care is assigned a social worker and can take advantage of their expertise.

COURTESY PHOTOS

Mark Sheldon, RN, is a nurse who prepares patients for the ARNP exam on the VA Mobile Clinic bus.

An exam room is shown inside the VA Mobile Clinic.