Veterans' Healthy Living, Fall 2014
Dear Veterans
A Message from the Network Director
Michael F. Mayo-Smith, M.D., M.P.H.
Network Director
As the seasons change and summer turns to fall, the cooler temperatures and changing of the leaves mark the noticeable advance. As you visit the facilities or CBOCs across the network, you may notice the advances taking place at VA, too, so that we can serve you better.
On page 3, you will read about the recent appointment of Christine Croteau as the Director of Edith Nourse Rogers Veterans Affairs Memorial Medical Center. With more than 15 years’ experience in executive healthcare, Croteau has proven skills that are "valuable assets for the facility."
On pages 4, 5, 6 and 7, you can see a few of the many initiatives taking place in VISN 1 that are increasing access to quality care for the Veterans we serve. Read about initiatives at all our locations: Bedford, Central Western Massachusetts and Maine; Manchester and Connecticut; Boston and Providence; and White River Junction.
Thank you for your service. Now let us serve you!
Michael F. Mayo-Smith, M.D., M.P.H.
Network Director
To care for him who shall have borne the battle
The words spoken by President Abraham Lincoln during his second inauguration in 1865, which are the motto of VA, were echoed by President Barack Obama on August 7, 2014, shortly before he signed the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act. “As a country, we have a sacred obligation to serve you as well as you served us—an obligation that doesn’t end with your tour of duty,” said President Obama.
What is the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014? To meet the health care needs of our Veterans, this act, with a total estimated cost of $16.1 billion, is meant to increase access to quality care in a timely manner. Increasing access to care will be accomplished by a variety of tactics, including staff augmentation, the addition of more Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), and expanded hours of operation.
