DANVILLE — J.R. Walag of Fairmount is busy with classes at Danville Area Community College, and so he has to make the best use of his time.

The Army sergeant finds it convenient to go to appointments at the nearby Veterans Affairs Illiana Health Care System before heading to DACC.

A new outpatient clinic just for those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan meets his needs.

“It’s extremely fast,” Walag, an E5, said. “The down time is almost nothing.”

Walag and others are making use of the clinic, which opened in June at the VA. In the past, services were scattered across the hospital for those serving in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Now, all services are clustered in a remodeled area, called Station 12, on the first floor of Building 98 (one level up from the ground floor).

The public is invited to tour the new clinic and offices Friday afternoon.

VA staff will be available to explain the services and programs that are available for veterans from OEF/OIF.

Last year, about 1,300 veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars were served in the Illiana system.

Veterans often have multiple appointments, and the new clinic keeps that in mind. Some have to take time off from work.

Hilary Edgerly, OEF/OIF program manager, said, “So many veterans are here most of the day, so we try to make it more comfortable.”

The waiting area, for example, has a big-screen TV and games — such as Guitar Hero and a Wii — for veterans and their families to use. In one corner is a play area for children, complete with toys and a small table.

A kitchenette also is available for use, and there are comfortable chairs and magazines.

Station 12 also has two exam rooms and offices for a doctor and physician’s assistant.

Now a mandate

“This was an idea of ours over a year ago,” Edgerly said.

The staff had the idea in April 2007, but it took awhile to get the proposal approved and the funding allocated.

The OEF/OIF clinic is the first one in the Veterans Integrated Services Network, which includes seven health-care systems in parts of Indiana, Illinois and Michigan.

“We’re the first to have a dedicated OEF/OIF clinic,” Edgerly said. “It’s now a mandate.”

The Peoria clinic will offer a similar setup soon, possibly in December.

Each Thursday afternoon, the Illiana clinic devotes one room to video conferences. Thus, a veteran in Peoria, for example, can consult with his doctor without driving to Danville.

Also, environmental agent exams are offered to those who might have been exposed to toxins.

The clinic has one doctor, one physician assistant, one nurse, an outreach worker, a clerk, two managers and a transition pa-tient advocate, in addition to the program manager and program support system worker.

For some services, such as mental health, a clinician will come over to Station 12, or the veteran may go to a different part of the VA.

Positive reactions

Veterans such as Walag are happy with the changes.

Walag has used the OEF/OIF program quite a few times, he said. He served two tours in Iraq in 2003 and in 20004-05, and served in Afghanistan from October 2007 to this past June.

He served four years active duty, and now is on four years of callback duty.

Walag, 24, said the new clinic is more modern, and easy to use and navigate.

He likes the fact that he can go to a doctor’s appointment, and then head to DACC, where he’s taking general studies.

The staff also is pleased with the setup.

Heather Ketchem, program support system worker, said, “It’s great to have all the staff together and have the veterans in one spot. It’s a real team effort. Everyone tries to do what’s in the best interest of the patient.”

She added that she hasn’t heard any negative comments from veterans.

“We work as a team to make sure we know what’s going with our veterans,” she said. “We as a group help each other out to co-ordinate services.”

Robin Carter, OEF/OIF case manager, agreed, saying, “You can see where we’re meeting the veterans’ needs.”

The Illiana system includes the community-based outreach clinics in Springfield, Decatur, Peoria and West Lafayette, Ind., and draws veterans from an area ranging from western Indiana to Galesburg to Kankakee to Effingham.



COMING UP

The Veterans Affairs Illiana Health Care System will have an open house for veterans and the general public to see the newly renovated outpatient clinic that serves Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.

The open house will be 1-3:30 p.m. Friday on the first floor (take the elevator in the main lobby) of Building 98. Look for the OEF/OIF Station 12 sign.

Refreshments will be served.