VA launches Close to Me Novel Infusion Care Delivery service

VA’s National Oncology Program (NOP) stands shoulder-to-shoulder beside Veterans receiving cancer care at VA.

Diagnosing and treating more than 43,000 Veterans annually, NOP is one of the nation’s largest integrated providers of hematology/oncology services.

Infusion treatments offered solely at VA medical centers are often inaccessible for some Veterans, especially rural Veterans. Travel, distance, parking, time, and caregiver support often prevent Veterans from attending treatment appointments and adhering to prescribed anti-cancer therapy regimens.

Providing anti-cancer therapy services

Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) and Health Care Centers often have limited, adequate infusion clinic space or sterile compounding capabilities to be suitable alternative care sites for Veterans.

To resolve these challenges, NOP launched the “Close to Me Novel Infusion Care Delivery service.” The service seeks to reduce travel time for Veterans, improve VA care continuity, and increase access points to Veteran-centric care.

The service provides anti-cancer therapy services at three unique and novel locations: CBOCs, mobile infusion units, and patient homes.

Service gearing up quickly to expand

The Close to Me pilot launched at Pittsburgh CBOCs in June 2022, based on prior work done at the Minneapolis VAMC and supported by NOP. The service is gearing up quickly to expand.

Twelve VA facilities across the country were selected to implement eight CBOC care models, three home care models, and one mobile infusion unit site as a part of Close to Me during early 2023.

Salt Lake City, Houston, Minneapolis, Northern Indiana, Cleveland, Ann Arbor, Erie, and Puerto Rico were the eight facilities selected to implement this innovative new program.

To learn more about cancer care at VA, visit cancer.va.gov.