The Veterans Affairs Tennessee Valley Healthcare System has officially opened a new Oncology Services and Infusion Center at the Pointe Centre VA Clinic in Chattanooga. Located at 1208 Pointe Centre Drive, this facility marks a significant expansion in local cancer care for veterans in the region.
Prior to this clinic’s opening, veterans diagnosed with cancer in the Chattanooga area faced a significant logistical burden. They were often required to travel to Nashville, Murfreesboro, or even into Georgia to receive chemotherapy and other infusion treatments.
This travel added physical strain and emotional stress for patients already navigating a cancer diagnosis, forcing families and caregivers to spend hours on the road instead of focusing on healing.
Veterans Facing Cancer Now Have Treatment Closer to Home
The new center provides specialized oncology services, including chemotherapy, infusions, radiation, and dietary services. It is staffed by specialized nurses and oncologists, ensuring veterans can receive comprehensive cancer care close to home.
According to Dr. Carrie Baxter, Medical Director for the Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, having local access allows for better continuity of care. Veterans who receive regular primary care and screenings locally can be followed more closely, ensuring they get the necessary follow-up treatment immediately.
The “Close to Me” Program: A National Model
The Chattanooga clinic is not an isolated project. It is one of roughly 30 similar clinics established across the country under the VA’s “Close to Me” Care Delivery Models.
The program was inspired by a nurse in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 2021. Seeing that veterans were driving excessive distances for treatment, the nurse proposed bringing the drugs to the patients rather than forcing the patients to travel to a central urban medical center.
The Minneapolis VA Health Care System launched the first Close to Me service in October 2021, creating a model that proved so successful it began spreading nationwide.
How It Works
The Close to Me program is sponsored by the VHA National Oncology Program Office. Its goal is to move anti‑cancer therapy services from large, often urban‑based VA Medical Centers out into Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs)—like the one in Chattanooga—as well as into patients’ homes.
The program is designed specifically to solve access issues for veterans in rural areas, reducing travel time, parking difficulties, and the need for constant caregiver support. It uses a multidisciplinary team approach, involving oncology champions, pharmacy experts, specialized infusion nurses, and advanced practice providers.
Where Are the Other Clinics?
The Close to Me program has successfully established infusion services at CBOCs across the VA system. According to the VA, services are currently operating in the following catchment areas:
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Midwest: Minneapolis, St. Cloud, Madison, Ann Arbor, Detroit (Northern Indiana), Cleveland, Chicago, and Eastern Colorado.
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Northeast: Pittsburgh, Erie, Syracuse, Wilkes‑Barre, East Orange (NJ), and Connecticut.
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South: Fayetteville (NC), Columbia (SC), Bay Pines (FL), Tampa, Miami, Gainesville, Orlando, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and the Tennessee Valley (Chattanooga).
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West: Salt Lake City, Sacramento, Puget Sound (WA), and Reno (NV—which specializes in home infusion pumps).
Additionally, the Veterans Affairs coverage is expanding beyond traditional clinics. The Durham VAMC has launched a program where registered nurses travel to patients’ homes to administer infusions, and the Reno VAMC uses home infusion pumps for specific therapies. Replication efforts are underway at 15 additional VAMCs nationwide.
How Veterans Can Access These Services
For veterans seeking care at the new Chattanooga clinic or similar Close to Me facilities, the process is integrated into standard VA healthcare procedures.
Eligibility and Referral:
Veterans enrolled in VA health care who require intravenous or injectable anti‑cancer therapies are eligible. If you live near a participating CBOC (like Chattanooga), your oncologist or primary care provider can refer you to the Close to Me program. The clinic focuses on continuity of care, ensuring that the treatment fits into the veteran’s whole life cycle of care.
Transportation Assistance:
The VA recognizes that getting to appointments can still be a barrier. The Pointe Centre clinic offers support through Disabled American Veterans (DAV) vans, which provide transportation for veterans and authorized caregivers to scheduled medical appointments. Additionally, veterans may qualify for beneficiary travel benefits, which include mileage reimbursement for travel to and from medical facilities.
*If you or a veteran you know is in crisis or concerned about a loved one, the Veterans Crisis Line is available 24/7. Call 988 and press 1, or text 838255.*
