WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. – Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren said Thursday that new federal VA clinics being established on the Navajo Nation will save Navajo and Native veterans money, mileage and time to get the care they’ve been asking for.
On Monday, Jan. 22, Northern Arizona VA Health Care System will hold a grand opening and ribbon cutting of Chinle VA Clinic’s Expanded Services at the at the Chinle Comprehensive Healthcare Facility. The public event begins at 10 a.m.
Last week, the President testified before the House Veterans Affairs Committee in Washington on this subject.
“My plea to them is that our rural Navajo veterans travel way too far, to Albuquerque, Phoenix, Salt Lake, Denver,” he said. “Those are hours away. The reimbursement for mileage they get is not even enough to cover their gas, cover their food and the families that they’re taking. It’s such a strenuous task to go get big time services.”
He said that with the VA clinic services planned for Chinle, Kayenta, Tuba City and Polacca, he encouraged the congressmen and congresswomen to build a bigger facility with services equivalent to those in metropolitan areas.
At the Chinle Clinic, the Northern Arizona VA, in partnership with the Indian Health Service, will provide reliable 5-day-a-week, face-to-face primary care to Navajo and Native veterans who live in northern Arizona’s most remote areas.
“Care close to home is paramount for hozho for our veterans and their families,” said Bobbi Ann Baldwin, Navajo Nation Veteran Administration executive director. “Yes, I will go there. This will cut my time on the road from home and money from leaving my pocket and being spent in metropolitan areas when can be spent home.”
Steve Sample, Northern Arizona VA Health Care System Medical Center director, said the VA has identified a wide variety of challenges to provide quality healthcare in the highly rural areas of its 65,000-square-mile service area.
“We are constantly striving to provide exceptional healthcare to all of the veterans we serve, no matter where they live,” he said.
After the event, veterans who attend will be helped with enrollment and benefits.
The program partnered with the Office of Rural Health to hire healthcare “navigators” to work in VA clinics to assist Native American veterans coordinate their care across VA, community care and IHS, said Max Efrein, public affairs officer for Northern Arizona VA.
These remote areas like the Navajo Nation are termed “medical deserts,” because of the shortage of medical providers, high turnover because of their distant locations and lack of housing, and inconsistency and mistrust in the healthcare delivery system.
“It was clear we needed to do more to serve these communities, so we came up with a solution,” Director Sample said.
A mobile medical clinic for special events and/or clinical coverage and improved telehealth services will be available, Director Sample said.
“We’re very excited to bring these additional services to our highly rural areas,” Sample said. “We’ll now be able to deliver the level of care our Native Veterans truly deserve.”
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