Aiken VA clinic can help more local vets
Jan 12, 2009 (Aiken Standard - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX)
The Department of Veterans Affairs has an outpost in Aiken to provide health care services more efficiently to those who served in the U.S. military.
Located at 951 Millbrook Ave., behind Shoney's on Whiskey Road, the Aiken VA Clinic offers primary medical care, mental health care and social services to local vets. It does not provide specialized medical care such as cardiology, orthopedics or other specialties but has partnerships with the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Aiken Regional Medical Centers for referrals, according to manager Mary Snelling.
"We opened on Feb. 4, 2008. The goal was to make it more convenient for our veterans that live in this area and out toward Columbia and Charleston," Snelling said. "We can handle up to 5,000 patients and right now we have about 1,600. We'd welcome new patients; we have a great staff and we really want to give good care to our patients."
The Aiken VA Clinic's services are open to eligible veterans, and the staff can help vets determine if they are eligible, according to Snelling. New patients should bring their discharge papers, a form known as the DD214, to help determine eligibility.
The clinic's staff includes two physicians, Dr. Kerry Diver and Dr. John Hancock, who left private practices in Augusta to join the clinic staff, as well as nurse practitioner Edie Lamar, a psychologist Dr. Bill Nolan, two registered nurses and two licensed practical nurses; two social workers, three clerks, two part-time security officers, a secretary and Snelling.
"We're short a psychiatrist -- I have one starting on Monday, Jan. 19 -- a pharmacist, a health technician and one clerk. Those positions are being filled through the VA's human resources department in Augusta," Snelling said.
The clinic sees patients by appointment, and an initial appointment will likely consist of a complete physical examination with one of the staff's physicians or the nurse practitioner. The patient's case file will then be assigned to that staff member for future appointments.
"We have patients who only come in once a year for a physical and to get their prescriptions updated, and we have patients who get a whole range of specialty services through us -- we have the whole gamut of patients," Snelling said.
For more information about patient eligibility, available services or to schedule an appointment, call the Aiken VA Clinic at 643-9016.
Contact Suzanne Stone at sstone@aikenstandard.com.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Aiken VA clinic can help more local vets
