VA opens claims office at Scott

Published April 15, 2015
By Christine Spargur
375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- The Department of Veterans Affairs formally opened a new Compensation and Pension Clinic here April 10. Marking the first memorandum of agreement between the VA St. Louis Health Care System and Scott Air Force Base, the Compensation and Pension Clinic is located on the fifth floor of the Scott AFB Clinic and serves military members and eligible veterans.

"Compensation and Pension, C&P, is for disability claims for members who may have incurred some type of an injury while on active duty or for those who have injuries that worsened after they retired," said Jeanette Anguita, Compensation and Pension Program Manager. "So, they file a disability claim with the Veterans Benefits Administration. VBA will then pull their medical records together, will order medical exams, and send those orders here to the C&P Clinic.

"We determine what specialists the member should see based upon the VBA's orders. For example, some people may only claim disability for hearing. Others may claim disability for hearing, their eyes and for shortness of breath--a combination of things.

Our clinical program director will look at the disability claims and he will determine where to schedule the member whether it's a general medical evaluation or a combination of an optometrist, an audiologist, and a general medical practitioner ... each one is a unique claim."

Anguita said the benefit of having a second C&P Clinic here is better accessibility for appointments and the ease of travel for veterans and servicemembers living in Illinois. The other C&P Clinic is located at the VA St. Louis Health Care System John Cochran Medical Center in St. Louis.

U.S. Representative Mike Bost, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1979 to 1982, is a current member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs. His Congressional 12th district includes Scott AFB. At the ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, he said, "As a Marine myself, for our veterans and our disabled veterans no matter where or when they served, we want to provide them the best care ... Having people who understand the [VA health care] system, who can lead our veterans through it, who can tell them it's OK and 'let's figure out what we can do for you,' ... I think this C&P Clinic is a great opportunity."

In addition to the C&P Clinic at Scott, the VA also offers a Vet Center and Home Based Primary Care. These programs are also located on the fifth floor of the Scott Clinic in a separate wing.

The Vet Center provides a broad range of counseling, outreach, and referral services to combat veterans and their families guiding them through many of the major life adjustments that often occur after a veteran returns from combat. Services may include individual and group counseling in areas such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, alcohol and drug assessment, and suicide prevention referrals.

Home Based Primary Care is for veterans who have complex health care needs that are best provided in their home environment.

Stacy Taylor, a program support assistant for Home Based Primary Care, said her team currently serves about 110 veterans. Most of her patients are World War II and Vietnam veterans. Most are seniors over 60 years old who have end stage diseases or chronic conditions. Home Based Primary Care provides medical care such as blood pressure checks, physical therapy, prescriptions, psychological counseling, and lab tests. An interdisciplinary team of specialists will meet to identify the veteran's unique needs to determine whether Home Based Primary Care is appropriate.

"Veterans are referred to our program from their primary care doctors," said Taylor.

"They may go to a VA hospital, for example. There, the doctor may tell them they could benefit from home based care." The veteran is then screened to see if they are eligible and meet the requirements for home care. If eligible, the veteran must consent to home care and must be willing to accept a minimum of ten home visits annually.

The Home Based Primary Care Program is also located at VA St. Louis Health Care System Jefferson Barracks in South St. Louis County. Taylor said having offices at Scott AFB brings them closer to the patient population her team serves.