{"id":6207,"date":"2026-09-14T14:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-14T14:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thirstier.news\/va-close-to-me-brings-cancer-care-closer-to-rural-veterans\/"},"modified":"2026-09-14T14:30:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-14T14:30:00","slug":"va-close-to-me-brings-cancer-care-closer-to-rural-veterans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=6207","title":{"rendered":"VA \u2018Close to Me\u2019 brings cancer care closer to rural Veterans"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Reducing travel, improving outcomes<\/h2>\n

\u00e2\u0080\u009cDriving all the way to Nashville for four hours can really get strenuous,\u00e2\u0080\u009d said Joel Edwards, a Army Infantry Veteran receiving oncology care at the cancer in Chattanooga, Tennessee.<\/p>\n

According to VA,\u00c2\u00a0nearly one-quarter of America\u00e2\u0080\u0099s Veterans live in rural areas<\/a>, where specialty care often requires extended travel. For years, that was the reality for many Veterans living in southeast Tennessee and northern Georgia, who faced long drives for cancer treatment, often repeated week after week.<\/p>\n

Now, that routine is changing.<\/p>\n

VA\u00c2\u00a0Tennessee Valley Healthcare System (TVHS)\u00c2\u00a0designated the\u00c2\u00a0Pointe Centre VA Clinic<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0in Chattanooga as a\u00c2\u00a0VA \u00e2\u0080\u009cClose to Me\u00e2\u0080\u009d<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0cancer care site, becoming one of more than 30 VA medical centers nationwide to be selected for the expansion. The designation brings oncology services closer to where Veterans live while maintaining coordinated care within VA\u00e2\u0080\u0099s healthcare system.<\/p>\n

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<\/a>
Kim Hughes, a registered nurse with VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, poses for a photo at the Pointe Centre VA Clinic in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Hughes supports Veterans receiving oncology care through the VA Close to Me program, which expands access to cancer treatment for Veterans by bringing care closer to home.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Veterans face\u00c2\u00a0a higher risk of developing certain cancers<\/a>\u00c2\u00a0due to exposures during military service, including Agent Orange and burn pits, which VA recognizes as linked to multiple presumptive cancers under the\u00c2\u00a0PACT Act<\/a>. For many Veterans, that increased risk makes access to timely, coordinated care even more critical.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u0080\u009cClose to Me is designed to bring access to Veterans in some of the smaller communities outside of Nashville and Murfreesboro where oncology services have traditionally been offered for Veterans,\u00e2\u0080\u009d said Whitney Worthy, a nurse practitioner at the clinic.<\/p>\n

Prior to this expansion of care, Veterans in the Chattanooga region traveled up to three hours to the Nashville VA Medical Center or were referred to a community provider.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u0080\u009cIt can be a lot on the Veteran to travel 60 minutes or more to an appointment once a week, or sometimes even twice a week,\u00e2\u0080\u009d said Kim Hughes, a registered nurse at the clinic. \u00e2\u0080\u009cWhat we are hoping to do is allow them to spend less time on the road and more time with their families, resting and recovering.\u00e2\u0080\u009d<\/p>\n

For more than a year, Edwards made the long drives for treatment, always accompanied by his wife, Sandra Edwards.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u0080\u009cHe used to have two or three appointments every week after the initial cancer surgery,\u00e2\u0080\u009d Sandra recalled. \u00e2\u0080\u009cIt\u00e2\u0080\u0099s nice now not having to drive all over the place to get to his appointments.\u00e2\u0080\u009d<\/p>\n

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The impact so far<\/h2>\n

Since treating its first patient in December 2025, the clinic has already served more than 101 Veterans, expanding access to oncology care closer to home and reducing the burden of frequent travel on Veterans and their families. By expanding specialty care and transitioning care back into VA, the program has also resulted in more than $130,000 in cost avoidance, allowing those resources to be further invested into Veteran care.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u0080\u009cVeterans in this area want to stay within the VA system,\u00e2\u0080\u009d said Worthy. \u00e2\u0080\u009cAs far as continuity of care, having all your providers under one system is a big deal.\u00e2\u0080\u009d<\/p>\n

Coordinating care across multiple providers and systems can be complex, particularly for patients undergoing frequent or specialized treatment. By keeping care within VA, providers can maintain greater continuity, ensuring Veterans receive consistent, connected care throughout their treatments.<\/p>\n

Edwards said the difference has been noticeable, not just in traveling distance, but in how he feels day by day.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u0080\u009cGetting the infusion here has been no problem,\u00e2\u0080\u009d Edwards said. \u00e2\u0080\u009cI feel better and I don\u00e2\u0080\u0099t drag out of bed.\u00e2\u0080\u009d<\/p>\n

Support systems matter<\/h2>\n

Veterans navigating cancer treatment<\/a> are often not doing it alone.<\/p>\n

Caregivers and spouses like Sandra play a critical role in managing appointments, providing transportation and offering support throughout each stage of care.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u0080\u009cI don\u00e2\u0080\u0099t want something to happen to him where he can\u00e2\u0080\u0099t drive home after his treatment,\u00e2\u0080\u009d Sandra said. \u00e2\u0080\u009cI don\u00e2\u0080\u0099t take that chance, so I come with him every time.\u00e2\u0080\u009d<\/p>\n

Inside the clinic, the treatment experience is designed with both patients and caregivers in mind.<\/p>\n

The clinic offers a smaller, more personalized setting. Infusion chairs offer heat and massage features, caregivers are encouraged to remain close by with their own comfortable seating, and appointments are coordinated to reduce time spent waiting and traveling. Together, those features help support both comfort and connection.<\/p>\n

Sandra said staff walk both patients and caregivers through each step of the process.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u0080\u009cThey will explain every step of the process with you just like they do for the patient getting treatment,\u00e2\u0080\u009d Sandra said.<\/p>\n

Referring to the availability of care at the Pointe Centre VA Clinic, Edwards said, \u00e2\u0080\u009cI\u00e2\u0080\u0099m glad you\u00e2\u0080\u0099re here. I\u00e2\u0080\u0099ve always got good care at VA.\u00e2\u0080\u009d<\/p>\n

Veterans receiving care through VA can speak with their provider about whether the VA Close to Me<\/a> program is right for them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Topics in this story<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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cancer treatment<\/a>Rural<\/a>VISN 3: VA MidAmerica Health Network<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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