Original Date: 07/10/2006
Revision Date: / /

Tobyhanna Army Depot has established a pair of innovative partnering arrangements with the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. In one partnership Tobyhanna provides space for the Veterans’ Outreach Clinic to make medical care for eligible veterans more accessible. Under the second partnership, Tobyhanna employees can be referred by the local Army health clinic to the Veterans Center for services not available at the clinic. These arrangements have provided additional convenience and cost-saving alternatives to Tobyhanna Army Depot personnel.

Tobyhanna Army Depot (TYAD) has established a pair of innovative partnering arrangements with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. In the first partnership TYAD has agreed to provide space for the Veterans’ Outreach Clinic on depot property where TYAD employees are able to receive diagnostic testing and treatment. The clinic provides an array of primary care services, lab services, and other specialty support through “telemedicine” to eligible depot personnel. This partnership provides convenient, on-base medical services to the veterans employed at TYAD, reducing the amount of personal time spent off-base for medical appointments.

Under the terms of the second partnership, the VA Medical Center provides diagnostic testing to TYAD employees for on-the-job injuries and physical evaluations. This arrangement enables TYAD employees to be referred by the local Army health clinic to the Veterans Center for services not otherwise available at the clinic, including deployment physicals, dental evaluations, and other specialized tests such as stress screening and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This partnership was implemented to reduce medical and compensation costs for the depot. Medical services provided by the Veterans Center are provided at rates that are often half those charged in the local private sector. The Veterans Center is also an option for workers’ compensation-related injuries at the employee’s choosing. Workers’ compensation offers a wide array of services, including CT scans, MRIs, physical therapy, orthopedic consultations, and dermatology services.

The benefits of these partnerships include timely access to convenient health care services for TYAD employees, cost-effective treatment, and community service for veterans.

For more information see the Point of Contact for this survey.