The Close to Me cancer care service brings cancer providers and treatment closer to Veterans’ homes, ensuring the Veteran experience is the driving force behind increasing access to care across VA. The service reduces the burden of lengthy travel for Veterans and their caregivers, improving access to care and affording Veterans more time to focus on healing.
Building on the momentum of VA Secretary Denis McDonough’s announcement in April to bring cancer diagnosis and treatment closer to Veterans, Close to Me has already expanded to 22 new sites for Veterans to receive VA’s best-in-class care.
Under this program, VA care teams travel to provide Veterans with the full continuum of cancer care at local outpatient clinics, like community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs) or other VA facilities, often in rural locations.
The formation of Close to Me began in 2021 at the Minneapolis VA Health Care System with the creation of its innovative “Roving RN” program. Working with VA’s National Oncology Program (NOP), the Minneapolis team shared critical insights from that program that helped shape the implementation of the Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC)-based infusion service at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System (VAPHS) in 2022.
VAPHS formalized the service, and Close to Me is now replicating at 33 VA Healthcare Systems across the nation.
Close to Me providing a VA option throughout a Veteran’s cancer journey
Close to Me increases access to the full continuum of VA cancer care, which has been proven to be the best care in America for Veterans. Since its inception, Close to Me has recorded zero medical emergencies, a 99% treatment adherence rate and high rates of patient satisfaction.
Fulfilling VA’s commitment: Expanding access to cancer care through Close to Me
Close to Me’s mission aligns with VA’s Cancer Moonshot goal to provide world-class care for over one million Veterans on the cancer care continuum, from screening to survivorship.
Since the inception of the program in late 2021, nearly 500 Veterans have received cancer treatments at CBOCs around the country. VA is committed to reaching more Veterans through Close to Me, evidenced by the newly planned CBOC expansion across the country that is bringing new cancer diagnosis, treatment and surveillance services to an additional 9,000 Veterans across 30 locations by the end of October 2025.
Learn more about VA Cancer Care
VA encourages Veterans to reach out to their VA provider for support wherever they may be in their cancer care journey. Learn more about VA cancer care by visiting the VA cancer webpage and the available resources for whole health by visiting the Whole Health Library.
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