An expansion of the Tullahoma Veterans Affairs (VA) Clinic is nearing completion, boosting access to care for an additional 1,800 eligible patients, to include active duty Airmen.

Officials anticipate the clinic will begin seeing new patients June 1.

“This expansion reflects the strength of the partnership between VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System and Arnold Air Force Base and our shared commitment to those who serve,” said Dr. Bridget Brozyna, TVHS Interim Deputy Executive Director. “Since first opening in 2000, the Tullahoma VA Clinic has represented a unique collaboration between VA and the Department of [War], and it is especially meaningful to see that partnership continue to grow. This VA-[DOW] partnership in Tennessee demonstrates what’s possible when we work together to meet the needs of our veteran and military communities.”

The Tullahoma VA Clinic at Arnold AFB is one of more than two dozen facilities that fall under VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System’s umbrella. It currently serves approximately 1,200 veterans.

As part of the expansion, VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System will hire two additional primary care providers and their teams. New medical equipment has been ordered and installed to meet the increased patient demand. The clinic is now an authorized Tricare Network Provider and part of the Tricare referral system to enhance the delivery of care for the Arnold AFB Airmen.

“This Air Force-VA partnership is a true force-multiplier across the board,” said Col. Eric Withrow, AEDC Test Support Division Chief. “It provides our active-duty personnel with immediate, onsite care delivered by physicians who deeply understand the unique realities of military life. Simultaneously, operating from an on-base facility signifi cantly reduces overhead for the VA. An added benefit is this initiative welcomes more veterans back to a military installation to fully enjoy the benefits they’ve earned.”

The partnership between VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System and Arnold AFB began in 1995. In January of that year, officials opened a Department of War and VA primary care clinic at Arnold, the result of a joint venture between the Alvin C. York VA Medical Center in Murfreesboro and AEDC.

Continued growth of the Tullahoma area played a key role in the current healthcare expansion. According to VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, the veteran population in Tullahoma is expected to grow 12% in the next five years.

The expansion enhances access to health care for both veterans and active duty Airmen. It reduces the time Airmen spend away from the base for medical appointments and fosters a smooth transition for veterans seeking care after leaving the service.

“The collaboration and team effort to make this happen for both our active duty and our veterans has been incredible to witness,” said Col. (Dr.) Tory Woodard, Air Force Materiel Command Deputy Command Surgeon. “I am very excited to be part of the team supporting our patients, past and present, as well as the Arnold Air Force Base mission.”

“This collaboration represents a vital step forward in delivering comprehensive, timely and high-quality care to those who serve our nation,” continued William Russell, AEDC Logistics and Health Services Chief. “The model of resource sharing is something both the VA and the Air Force are looking to expand at other bases in the next few years.”

Enhanced records access expected benefit of VA expansion

Expedited access to patient medical records is one anticipated benefit of the Tullahoma Veterans Affairs Clinic expansion here.

When active-duty Airmen utilize an off-base civilian primary care provider, the medical administrative teams at Arnold must manually request records via fax or the Airman must physically obtain and deliver the records, says Tech. Sgt. Ethan Cross, Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge of Health Services Management at Arnold AFB. This, Cross said, slows the care process and creates an “administrative burden,” leading to delays in an Airman’s medical readiness.

When a VA provider is used, medical records are entered into VA’s patient records system, which is directly connected to the Joint Longitudinal Viewer (JLV), Cross said. The JLV is a Department of War-wide web-based application that provides a consolidated, read-only view of a military member’s health records.

“Assigning active-duty personnel to a primary care manager at the VA Clinic signifi cantly improves our medical readiness,” Cross said. “Medical records become immediately and electronically available to our medical administrative teams here at Arnold, as well as the 96th Medical Group, our host Medical Treatment Facility, eliminating delays and administrative burdens associated with offbase providers.”

Because the VA is connected to the JLV, a service member’s complete medical history can be instantly accessed, thereby reducing the administrative workload created by faxes and manual records requests. This also improves the speed and accuracy of medical readiness assessments and decreases the likelihood of duplicative medical procedures.

“Faster access to information allows for quicker and more informed decisions regarding a service member’s health and deployment status. This streamlined process ensures that our personnel are medically ready to meet mission requirements with greater efficiency,” Cross said.

The assignment of VA primary care providers to military members will also benefit members approaching retirement or separation, particularly when they begin to file a VA disability claim.

“These retiring and separating members would have most all their records available from the one source, and generating their record copies would be much easier,” Cross said.

VA personnel can assist active-duty Airmen in registering for care at the Tullahoma VA Clinic. For more information, individuals can contact 615-225-2715.