HAMPTON, Va. — Congresswoman Elaine Luria met with David Collins, the new director of the Hampton VA Medical Center (HVAMC).
Director Collins intends to set his sights on improved access for patient care, reduced wait times, and increased patient satisfaction for veterans living in the Hampton Roads region.
“It’s clear this change in leadership can have a positive impact for veterans living in the Hampton Roads region,” Congresswoman Luria said. “I look forward to regular meetings with Director Collins to ensure that our veterans get the best possible care in our community.”
During their visit, Congresswoman Luria and Collins talked about ways to increase patient satisfaction and improve care for veterans. Things that the pair could do included retaining quality staff members, accelerating the hiring process, and improving relationships with employees and labor unions.
Director Collins said he is working to place qualified providers, technicians, and support staff until the backlog of nearly 300 positions has cleared.
Increasing capacity at the Hampton VA Medical Center is already in progress.
With expansions of the Chesapeake and Virginia Beach Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC) expected to be completed in the next six months, veterans will have more options for primary care, mental health, social work, lab work, and pharmacy services.
On top of that, a Multi-Specialty Outpatient Clinic (MSOC) will be built on the Southside, so both leaders are watchful of anything that could slow the bid-award-build process.
Important for all veterans, and especially for those on Virginia’s Eastern Shore, Director Collins implementation of the MISSION Act so veterans have more options for choosing a provider convenient to them. For example, Congresswoman Luria and Director Collins discussed the fact that the Eastern Shore Rural Health System will become part of the VA system in the coming weeks.
Congresswoman Elaine Luria represents Virginia’s 2nd Congressional District. She serves on the House Armed Services Committee, where she is the Vice Chair of the Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee, and the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, where she serves as Chair of the Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs Subcommittee.
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