VA Central Western Massachusetts Healthcare System

Realignment of Central and Western Mass Clinics Approved

VA New England Healthcare System plans to realign the facilities of central and western Massachusetts into one entity, aimed at providing a regional approach to healthcare and improving the current services for Veterans living in that part of the state.  VA facilities in central and western Massachusetts are currently managed by three different facilities and Veterans endure long travel times to care in Boston, Connecticut and Vermont. 

The Fitchburg and Worcester Community Based Outpatient Clinics, or CBOCs, will realign with Northampton VA Medical Center and the outpatient clinics in Springfield, Greenfield and Pittsfield, creating an integrated healthcare system to serve Veterans in those areas.
The Fitchburg and Worcester CBOCs are currently aligned with Bedford VA Medical Center and Boston VA Healthcare System respectively.
The proposed new healthcare system will improve access to specialty care for Veterans by making services available closer to home. October 1, 2011 is the earliest possible date for the realignment implementation.

VA New England Healthcare System is also in talks to strengthen its academic affiliation with University of Massachusetts Medical School.  Strong academic affiliations have helped VA Medical Centers across the country provide the most up-to-date care, as well as recruit and retain talented physicians.  UMass Medical School is a respected and growing institution and an affiliation will enhance VA services in this area.  
"The realignment offers a great opportunity to enhance services through our partnership with UMass," said Roger Johnson, Northampton VA Medical Center director.  "We've had great dialogue with the UMass Medical School and we look forward to building an academic and research program to help us expand our specialty services."

In July 2010, VA New England Healthcare System discussed a potential realignment with patients, Veteran Service Organizations, employees, members of the Massachusetts Congressional delegation and the state’s Department of Veterans’ Services. The response from stakeholders was both positive and supportive of the change.  “We are extremely thankful to those that provided feedback this summer on a potential realignment,” said Michael Mayo-Smith, MD, MPH, VA New England Healthcare System Network Director. “This alignment will make VA’s world-class healthcare more accessible to a patient population who both need and certainly deserve it.”

Veterans who prefer to keep their specialty providers at the more distant sites will be allowed to keep these arrangements and existing shuttles between the sites will remain intact. Employees will also see new opportunities for jobs, training and participating in research.
Johnson met with VA staff at the Worcester and Fitchburg CBOC this week to go over the next steps in the next nine months in working toward the October realignment.  A realignment steering committee, he said, will be appointed, along with workgroups, to focus on the realignment in key areas such as clinical operations, human resources, information technology, fiscal and resources issues, and keeping staff, patients and community partners informed.

A key goal will be looking at existing services at Worcester and Springfield to identify priority areas for increased services, Johnson said.
Over time, the realignment, Johnson said, is expected to create a crticial mass of services for veterans particularly in the Springfield and Worcester areas, where there are high concentrations of veterans.  Our goal is to focus on the regional strength that we will have with our CBOCs in central and western Massachusetts," said Johnson.