Columbia VA Health Care System

Veteran Billy Joe Paradise climbs the steps to Dorn VA’s Cardiology and Vascular Mobile Medical Unit (MMU) October 7 in Greenville, S.C. The MMU was purchased through an Office of Rural Health grant. Photo/Ken Holt

New Mobile Medical Unit addresses need of access to care and improves quality of life

Army Veteran Billy Joe Paradise was a little uncertain as he walked up the stairs to his cardiology appointment at the Greenville VA Clinic. According to Paradise he was not sure what he was going to be in store for at this appointment at the newest VA specialty clinic. This clinic was different than anything he had seen before. He was confident with the staff and clinicians he would see, but what was a little perplexing was that this particular clinic was stationed more than 100 yards from the clinic in the parking lot and had wheels.

The Wm. Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center unveiled its new Cardiology and Vascular Mobile Medical Unit (MMU) October 6. The unit is the first of its kind in the nation for the VA and will travel to rural parts of the Upstate Region to provide specialized cardiology and vascular care to Veterans.

The MMU was the idea of Yvette Twum-Danso, Cardiology Clinical Nurse at the Dorn VA. Twum-Danso saw a need for Veterans in the rural Upstate areas where Veterans would have to drive up to hundreds of miles to attend appointments for cardiology and vascular care.  She began the process of brainstorming how to ease the burden for those Veterans and knew there was a better way.  A way that would open up access to care and positively impact quality of life for Veterans traveling from rural areas of South Carolina.

“We have many Veterans in the outlying areas in need of this type of care,” said Twum-Danso. “As a cardiology team, we looked at every option; nothing was really off the table. Our goal was to be able to continue the quality care we provide at our main facility in Columbia with easier access. We understood the burden travel to the Veterans in rural areas and also understood that it is not ideal in regards to their health for these patients to have to travel that far—not to mention quality of life,” she said.

Stephen Coffey, cardiology nurse practitioner, examines Army Veteran Billy Joe Paradise at Dorn VAMC’s Cardiology and Vascular Mobile Medical Unit. Photo/Ken Holt

What Twum-Danso found was the opportunity for a grant through the VA’s office of Rural Health to purchase and equip the MMU, bringing care to Veterans instead of those in the Upstate Region having to make the lengthy drive to Columbia for care. The outcome of the grant is the MMU with the capability for heart and vascular testing including EKG, echocardiography, and peripheral vascular imaging. It is staffed by trained cardiovascular providers of the Dorn VA Medical Center. This unit will provide care in six federally-designated rural countries near the Orangeburg Community-Based Outpatient Clinic and the upstate Greenville, Spartanburg and Anderson areas.

Veterans who used the MMU for their appointments in the first week of its operation were overwhelmingly pleased by it, including Paradise who had his appointment the second day the MMU was put into service.

“I really did not know what to think of it at first, but I did know it was saving me a trip to Columbia,” said Paradise.

Paradise and his wife in the past have had to drive more than 300 miles round trip from Seneca, S.C. to Columbia for cardiology appointments at the Dorn VA Medical Center. For many appointments the couple would have to leave before 5 a.m. to be on time.

“Coming to my appointment (on the MMU) has cut my drive by more than half. This is a benefit to me, especially when I have an appointment at 8 a.m.,” said Paradise.

The goal of the MMU program is to better serve Veterans in rural areas of South Carolina by bringing cardiovascular evaluation and therapy to the patient. Photo/Ken Holt

Paradise said the Dorn VA’s investment in the MMU is telling of its commitment to give Veterans better services and easier access to care.

“It’s definitely a step in the right directions. I think the VA can use more of these. This will come in handy for all kinds of tests and care that Veterans need,” said Paradise. “Things like tests that don’t take a lot of time, this is great you don’t have to drive all the way to Columbia,” he said.

The VA staff members who operate the MMU say Paradise’s reaction to the unit was very similar to all of the Veterans who had received their care in the previous day.

Stephen Coffey is the MMU’s Nurse Practitioner providing care for Veterans. Coffey said the response has ranged from curiosity of Veterans just stopping in to see the unit to absolute disbelief of the capabilities of it.

“All the Veterans we have seen have been happy with the unit, not only because of the reduced travel time for appointments, but because of the ability to address virtually all their needs,” he said.

Coffey said this platform for Veteran care has the ability to extend the services well beyond the confines of the Dorn VA. And as he has seen in the MMU’s short time in service, Veterans will only continue to see its value in regards to access and quality of life.  

For more information on the Dorn VA or the Cardiology and Vascular MMU go to www.columbiasc.va.gov.