VA, DOD expand partnership to increase primary health care access for Virginia Veterans

WASHINGTON – Today, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced the expansion of a partnership with the Department of Defense (DOD) to increase VA health care access for Veterans in Virginia. The forthcoming agreement provides the opportunity for Veterans to receive care at the Langley VA Clinic inside the Langley Air Force Base Hospital located on Joint Base Langley-Eustis.

This clinic is designed to serve up to 10,000 Veteran patients and will provide Veterans with outpatient primary care services, including annual check-ups and screenings, chronic and acute illness management, mental health assistance, nutrition counseling, women’s health care, and lab tests. The expanded partnership will also offer dental services from VA providers to Veterans within the Langley Dental Services Building.

This is part of VA’s comprehensive efforts to expand access to VA and bring new Veterans to VA, because VA is proven to be the best, most affordable health care in America for Veterans. Over the past year alone, more than 400,000 Veterans have enrolled in VA care — a 30% increase year over year — including more than 20,000 Veterans in Virginia. Additionally, more than 91% of Veterans report trusting VA with their care — and VA has recently outperformed non-VA care in peer reviewed studies, hospital ratings, and patient satisfaction surveys.

The partnership is the first of its kind in Virginia, and a key part of VA’s comprehensive strategy to expand access to care for Veterans nationwide — including through partnerships with DOD. This collaboration is just one of the 177 VA-DOD partnerships that are currently active across the country, including 14 near- and long-term projects to expand access to care for Veterans.

“Virginia is one of the fastest growing Veteran populations in the United States,” said VA Under Secretary for Health Shereef Elnahal, M.D. “At a time when Veterans are signing up for VA care and using VA care at record rates, collaborations like this are critical. By partnering with DOD, we can ensure that health care is accessible and convenient for the Veterans we serve.”

“Our DOD-VA partnership underscores our joint dedication to seamless care for service members and families,” said Assistant Secretary, Defense for Health Affairs Lester Martinez-Lopez, M.D. “We aim for enhanced collaboration and innovation to elevate patient care standards and readiness, leveraging resources for a consistent system throughout their service and beyond.”

For over 150 years, the Hampton VA Health Care System has been dedicated to serving Veterans of Hampton Roads. Situated within one of the largest active duty and military retiree populations nationwide, the Hampton Roads region encompasses all branches of the military, including significant installations like the Norfolk Naval Base, the Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, and Langley Air Force Base in Virginia.

With its main Hampton VA Medical Center and three community-based outpatient clinics in Chesapeake, Virginia Beach, and Elizabeth City, the Hampton VA Health Care System serves more than 108,000 Veterans across southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. Notably, a new Chesapeake Outpatient Clinic is on track to open in late 2024, further expanding access to essential health care services to Virginia Veterans.

For more information on VA health care for Veterans in Virginia, visit Hampton VA Health Care System.