As Veterans Day approaches, your VA Pacific Islands Health Care System would like to express our appreciation and thanks to all who have served, or are currently serving in the armed forces.
We are committed to providing you with the first-class, quality care you have earned.
There have been a number of recent improvements in our health care system, and you have my commitment that we will continue to improve services to meet your health care needs.
During this past year, we have had a number of accomplishments in the services we provide, including eliminating our waiting list for new patients, reducing the number of days it takes a new enrollee to receive services from 145 days this past January, to 35 days at this time.
We also are successfully completing a number of intensive quality reviews with outstanding results.
Congressional legislation has recently created the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act, which will further enhance services to veterans. Through this legislation we have received authority to build a new ambulatory care center, referred to as the Aloha Project, in Leeward Oahu, which will decompress our ambulatory care clinic on the Tripler Army Medical Center campus.
Veterans will also be provided a Veterans Choice Card, which will offer many veterans a wider choice on where they receive their health care. Specific information regarding this program will soon be provided to all veterans.
We are also finalizing plans to locate the Veterans Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC), VBA Regional Office, state Office of Veteran Services and Vet Center into a single location on both Maui and Kauai.
In addition, we are also planning to relocate the Hilo CBOC, will be refurbishing the American Samoa CBOC, and will be expanding the Kona and Guam CBOCs.
I pledge that our health care system will continue to improve, thanks to our dedicated staff. To our veterans, you are our nation’s heroes and we are honored to serve you.
