A Veteran has the right to designate his/her "preferred facility" where they want to receive the majority of their primary care services. For health reasons, VA Primary Care services are best delivered at the VA facility closest to the Veteran’s home where the patient is enrolled for care. The assigned Primary Care team is responsible for coordinating all of the patient’s healthcare needs, including Specialty Services (such as cardiology, optometry, audiology, dermatology, orthopedics, etc.) available within the patient’s assigned healthcare system.
The Veterans Integrated Service Network 8 ("VISN 8") has more than 60 medical facilities patients can choose from to receive care. These facilities are grouped geographically into healthcare systems to ensure appropriate access to care throughout Florida, South Georgia and the Caribbean. Within each healthcare system is a major hospital and outpatient clinics. In VISN 8, the North Florida/South Georgia healthcare system is the exception with two hospitals plus outpatient clinics. To locate the facilities nearest you, click here to check the VISN 8 map.
To ensure continuity of care, patients must obtain Specialty Care services at the nearest location within their assigned healthcare system. For example, if a patient who receives his care at the Leesburg Community Based Outpatient Clinic needs dermatology services, his Primary Care Provider (PCP) will refer him to that CBOC’s parent facility, the Orlando VA Medical Center.
Please note there are exceptions to this policy.
Certain specialty services may not be readily available within the assigned healthcare system’s primary service area or there may be a delay in receiving such care. Such is the case with the Orlando VA which was activated as a stand-alone healthcare system on October 1, 2009. A new Orlando VA Medical Center is planned with an estimated completion date of 2012. Until that time, patients enrolled in the Orlando VA healthcare system may obtain their specialty care at the James A. Haley VA Hospital or the North Florida/South Georgia VA medical facilities. A veteran’s PCP will make this specialty care consulation and referral.
VISN 8 continues to improve access to care by establishing new community based-outpatient clinics and multi-specialty outpatient clinics.
A patient can change their preferred facility at any time by contacting the Enrollment Coordinator or Health Benefits Advisor at their VA health care facility. Please note that VHA’s current beneficiary travel program only allows for mileage reimbursement to the nearest facility which offers that care for eligible Veterans.
Eligible veterans with additional questions should contact their Primary Care Provider.
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