Emergency Department at Dublin VA to become urgent care center Nov. 15

The Carl Vinson VA Medical Center will officially convert its Emergency Department (ED) into an urgent care center on Nov. 15.
Medical center director Maryalice Morro said that the change is the outcome of several years of planning and research that indicate that the veterans already use the ED as an urgent care center, making the planned conversion a more effective approach for veterans’ health care needs.
“Veterans’ currently using the ED presented with urgent or less than urgent needs 98% of the time over the past few years. The higher acuity emergency cases have been transferred to other facilities that provide complex surgical procedures and have high acuity inpatient units to support seriously ill or injured patients.  The transition to an urgent care center makes sense as the best way of providing urgent care services to our veterans.  This ensures our veterans get the right care, in the right place, at the right time.” Morro said.
The new Urgent Care Center will operate from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. seven days a week, including holidays.
Morro noted that the Dublin VA has an outstanding relationship with Fairview Park Hospital, a newly designated level-three trauma center that is located just a few hundred yards from the VA, as well as the other major medical centers in its catchment area.
“We have established effective working relationships with our sister facilities in the community, so the change should be seamless for veterans,” Morro said.
The Dublin VA announced the conversion in January and continues to communicate the re-structuring to its stakeholders, including veteran service organizations (VSOs), congressional offices, veterans, and VA staff. Morro said that the transition has gone smoothly so far.
“We’ve had inquiries from VSOs and many veterans, but once we explain the logic behind the move, our stakeholders understand the benefits. What we want to clearly convey to our veterans and other stakeholders is that a comprehensive plan is in place to ensure a seamless transition of health care services during these changes and that the changes are planned solely for the purpose of providing our veterans with the highest quality care in the most appropriate location for their condition,” Morro said.
For more information, contact VA communications director Dr. Frank Jordan at Frank.Jordan@va.gov or 478-274-5440