FORT BRAGG, N.C. – Womack Army Medical Center and the Fayetteville Veteran’s Affairs discussed ways to increase access for the best care of our Fort Bragg veteran community Feb. 7.
Mr. Daniel L. Dücker, the Fayetteville, N.C., VA medical center director, toured WAMC with the Hospital Commander Col. John Melton.
The two visited departments within Womack that currently collaborate resources to increase medical care opportunities for veterans, mandated by the ‘Mission Act.’
The Mission Act was signed into law in 2019 as a means to improve veteran’s access to VA healthcare by opening their options for care to out in the community.
Its goal is to strengthen the nationwide VA health care system by empowering veterans with more health care options.
Womack and the Fayetteville VA partner in providing services for veterans to use, at both facilities, in ophthalmology, cardiac catheterization laboratory and in the sleep laboratory.
“It’s great to have the time to talk about ways that we can better help our veterans in the community,” said Dücker. “If we can provide more options to our community care by including Womack, that’s great for everyone.”
The two organizations’ leadership discussed ways that the two hospitals can become more integrated.
“Currently, our Womack staff may work from the VA every Tuesday,” said Lt. Col. David Greenburg, the chief of ophthalmology at WAMC. “But we would love for a patient to be able to be seen any day of the week to seek the care that they are looking for. Whether it’s here at Womack or the VA.”
At the end of the discussion, Dücker and Melton agreed on one thing, “We both want to take of the veterans, and make sure that we do it right.”