Northumberland County, including the eastern end, is back as an option for the location of a free-standing veterans' clinic.
Three years ago when the clinic was proposed, the Department of Veterans Affairs said it was considering putting the clinic in Snyder County, where it would also serve Northumberland County's veterans.
This week, however, Vince Riccardo, Wilkes-Barre Veterans Affairs Medical Center spokesman, said no decision on a location has been made, and that the chosen site would be based on the interested parties that apply.
"It's totally up in the air," he said.
Any organization that believes it can provide the service needed while meeting the criteria as a provider is welcome to apply, said Riccardo.
That would include Shamokin Area Community Hospital (SACH), as the VA expects hospitals and other current health care providers will be interested in hosting a clinic.
Early stages
Local leaders have been pushing for a nearby clinic, saying a ride to the closest one at Frackville was impractical for many veterans.
They were critical of the VA in 2008 when it announced it was targeting the Shamokin Dam area, and wondered why a facility such as SACH couldn't be considered.
Riccardo said plans remain in the early stages, and any formal announcement won't be made until later this year. Even then, it will involve the solicitation of a community provider, which could be a variety of different organizations, such as a group practice or a hospital.
"We are working hard at establishing outpatient clinics for the area and we will continue to do so," he said.
Veterans are interested in having services close to home, and there is a need for it, said Riccardo.
The VA considers the distance veterans travel, the number of veterans in an area and their classification of needs when determining where to build a new clinic.
Long drive
There are currently no clinics in Northumberland County, and veterans must drive to outpatient clinics in Berwick, Williamsport, Frackville or Pottsville or one of the larger medical centers in Lebanon and Wilkes-Barre to seek medical attention at a VA facility, often traveling at least 25 miles one way.
There are approximately 10,000 to 11,000 veterans living in Northumberland County. Approximately 1,700 use the VA clinics, said Riccardo.
A clinic would provide primary health care, including preventive health services, patient education, immunizations, lab work, EKGs, chest, abdominal and skeletal radiographs, emergency services, medically necessary prescriptions, telemedicine and mental health services.
Upon hearing the news that Northumberland County may still be in the running for the clinic, state Rep. Kurt Masser was ready to start networking.
"The first chance I get, I will be talking to Congressman Tom Marino about this subject as well as county officials and (Shamokin Area Community Hospital CEO) Tom Harlow," he said from the state house floor. "For Northumberland County veterans, it would be great to have a clinic close to home for them."
U.S. Rep. Tom Marino (R-10) understands the Department of Veterans Affairs is in the process of soliciting proposals for a primary care service provider to serve the thousands of veterans in the Central Susquehanna Valley.
Marino said in a statement that he has no preference as to a location or a provider within Northumberland and Snyder counties and is just pleased that the veterans will not have to travel to Luzerne County for outpatient care.
"Hopefully the establishment of this clinic will alleviate a lot of the undue stress that our veterans must endure just to make the long trip to the VA Hospital in Wilkes-Barre," Marino said. "Many of our veterans are too sick to travel long distances, do not have transportation or have to cancel appointments because of inclement weather. Getting to a medical appointment shouldn't be a worry. The announcement that this long-awaited project is moving closer to reality is great news."
Harlow said, as a community-based hospital, it is their mission to provide needed medical and health services for area residents.
"If our community expresses an interest in a veterans' outpatient clinic here at Shamokin Area Community Hospital, by all means we will revisit the possibilities and re-evaluate the feasibility of the situation. However, we have not been approached on this matter," he said.
Local doctor pleased
The original solicitation in 2008, similar to what is expected later this year, did not produce a provider that met the appropriate criteria, said Riccardo, so alternative options were sought.
In Snyder County, a fee arrangement with Dr. Rodney Companion at the Family Practice, 3057 N. Susquehanna Trail, Shamokin Dam, was set up by the VA to provide basic health care to about 100 veterans in that county.
Most receive medication or referrals, but some receive primary care, Companion said. He said he has about 400 visits a year.
"We started it two years ago. We had an increase, but it leveled off," he said.
Companion agreed to the arrangement in part because he is a Vietnam-era veteran.
Only Snyder County veterans can get care in the Shamokin Dam office, so Companion said he is pleased a clinic is otherwise being proposed.
"The VA has limited our ability to care for folks outside the county. I would rather see all veterans get care," he said.