Project ARCH
Project ARCH intends to expand VA’s ability to serve our Veterans who live far from VA facilities.
Pratt, Kansas was chosen as a pilot site for the newest Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) initiative to provide Veterans with greater access to quality health care.
The pilot program, Project ARCH (Access Received Closer to Home), intends to improve access for eligible Veterans by connecting them to health care services closer to their home. Under this program, Veterans will gain local convenience without sacrificing the quality of care VA provides Veterans within its system. VA will ensure that participating Veterans’ medical records are shared between participating providers and VA so Veterans in the program experience seamless, quality health care whether receiving that care in their community or at VA medical facilities.
“Project ARCH intends to expand VA’s ability to serve our Veterans who live far from VA facilities,” VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki said. “This pilot program will also provide critical information about the role of contracted care in the future of VA’s health care delivery system.”
According to the law enacting Project ARCH, Veterans are eligible to participate in the program if they reside in a location where a pilot site is located and are enrolled for VA health care when the program starts. In addition the law requires Veterans meet any of the following criteria:
• Live more than 60 minutes drive time from the nearest VA health care facility providing primary care services, or
• Live more than 120 minutes drive time from the nearest VA health care facility providing acute hospital care, or
• Live more than 240 minutes drive time from the nearest VA health care facility providing tertiary care
For additional information about Project ARCH, please contact Jackie Epple, Project ARCH Coordinator, at (316) 685-2221, ext 57725. In accordance with the law, the Project ARCH pilot will be operational for three years.
“We at VA will continue to work diligently to implement this program and to find the best ways to improve access for eligible Veterans by connecting them to health care services closer to their homes,” Shinseki said. “Veterans traveled the globe in defense of this great Nation. They shouldn’t have to for the health care they earned with their service.”
