Below is a nice article about the facility but it gave no reference as to where the new clinic is located. But I found it! Photos also.
Outpatient veterans clinic opens in Pocomoke CityBy Earl Holland
Staff Writer
POCOMOKE CITY -- Leo Cherry knows how tough it can be for veterans trying to make it to their medical appointments.
As a driver for the Department of Motor Vehicles, Cherry would get up as early as 4 a.m. to transport veterans to locations like Cambridge and Baltimore so they could get their required treatment. Now the Hebron resident, who is also a veteran, can get his treatment closer to home with the opening of a new VA outpatient clinic.
"This is a very nice facility for the Lower Shore and it's amazing to see it and I really enjoy it," he said. "It's a lot of help to the veterans."
The facility, which opened two weeks ago, serves more than 1,500 veterans in Somerset, Wicomico and Worcester counties. The increasing number of veterans being served necessitated the move from its downtown location that it started with one doctor, one nurse and one clerical staff member working once a week 12 years ago.
To celebrate the opening of the center, a ribbon cutting and open house were held Saturday, which allowed the public to take a tour of the facility while allowing veterans to register for care. As part of the ribbon cutting, several dignitaries were on hand, including U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md.; Delegate Mike McDermott, R-38B-Worcester; and a representative for U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md.
Dr. Martin Garcia-Bunuel, the deputy director for managed care for the VA Maryland Health Care System, said being able to have a location that can reach both veterans in the tri-county area as well as the Eastern Shore of Virginia is a benefit to the veterans.
"This is a distant site from our main medical center in Baltimore and ... one of the things that is so important to us as a health care system is to provide primary care, mental health care and other preventative services," he said. "In order to do that, we have to be present, and this is a fantastic way to do that."
While the services are available to veterans, there is a concern that many of them are not utilizing the benefits. Kenya Griffin, program director for public relations and community outreach for the health care system, said educating them about it is very important.
"Some veterans don't believe they qualify or they get misinformation," she said. "So we want to let them know that there are experts here who can answer their questions about VA health care services, help them complete forms to enroll for care and that the services are here for them to take advantage of."
Cherry said the new technology that the Pocomoke City center possesses will be on par with the other facilities in the state, meaning he and his fellow veterans can get the same treatment close to home.
"You'll be able to get the veterans in and get their service while having to drive or travel that far," he said. "I know a lot of veterans who are older than me who don't feel like getting up four or six o'clock in the morning who have to take the shuttle to Cambridge or Baltimore on Green Street."
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Dr. Martin Garcia-Bunuel, the deputy director for managed care for the VA Maryland Health Care System, said being able to have a location that can reach both veterans in the tri-county area as well as the Eastern Shore of Virginia is a benefit to the veterans.
"This is a distant site from our main medical center in Baltimore and ... one of the things that is so important to us as a health care system is to provide primary care, mental health care and other preventative services," he said. "In order to do that, we have to be present, and this is a fantastic way to do that."
While the services are available to veterans, there is a concern that many of them are not utilizing the benefits. Kenya Griffin, program director for public relations and community outreach for the health care system, said educating them about it is very important.
"Some veterans don't believe they qualify or they get misinformation," she said. "So we want to let them know that there are experts here who can answer their questions about VA health care services, help them complete forms to enroll for care and that the services are here for them to take advantage of."
Cherry said the new technology that the Pocomoke City center possesses will be on par with the other facilities in the state, meaning he and his fellow veterans can get the same treatment close to home.
"You'll be able to get the veterans in and get their service while having to drive or travel that far," he said. "I know a lot of veterans who are older than me who don't feel like getting up four or six o'clock in the morning who have to take the shuttle to Cambridge or Baltimore on Green Street."
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2 comments:
I hate to say anything negative, because this is certainly a good thing for the area. But is that sign as crooked as it looks? The lines of text look like they're at different angles. Levels aren't that expensive... This is a step up from their handwritten sign on a piece of posterboard/cardboard they had in the window for a while. I don't understand, if they can spend the money to expand and have a new facility they can't spend a little and get some decent signage? Maybe a building sign is yet to come, but still...
Oh, good greif no! The sign on the building is not crooked. The photographer - which is ME- took it crooked! The signs on the facility are fine!
They DID spend the money on decent signage. I could find NO other photos about this so I rode to Pocomoke stood in the rain to take these photos for this report....so they might be a little of cue. Forgive me.
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