Denis R. McDonough Secretary of Veterans Affairs | Official website
WASHINGTON — Today, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced the expansion of its Close to Me cancer care program as part of the Biden Cancer Moonshot initiative. This expansion aims to bring cancer diagnosis, treatment, and surveillance services closer to thousands of Veterans across the country.
Under the Close to Me program, VA clinicians travel to provide Veterans with comprehensive cancer care at community-based outpatient clinics, reducing the need for extensive travel to medical centers. VA Secretary Denis McDonough highlighted the importance of this expansion, stating, "We want Veterans to have easy access to the care they need, where they need it," emphasizing the personalized and high-quality nature of the care provided.
The program has already shown promising results, with zero reported medical emergencies during treatment, high patient satisfaction, and a 99% treatment adherence rate. Since its inception in 2021, Close to Me has allowed nearly 500 Veterans to receive cancer treatments closer to home, saving over 200,000 miles in travel for Veterans and their caregivers.
At a press conference, Andrea Stone shared a heartwarming story of a decorated Army Veteran benefiting from the Close to Me program, reducing his travel time for treatments and making his cancer care journey more manageable. Stone emphasized that this program has significantly eased the burden for many Veterans undergoing cancer treatment.
This expansion aligns with President Biden's Unity Agenda and the Biden Cancer Moonshot initiative, aiming to provide world-class care for over one million Veterans on the cancer care continuum. The program's success has also led to substantial cost savings, leveraging VA's access to reduced drug costs and providing quality care to Veterans at a lower expense.
In addition to the Close to Me program, VA has been actively working to improve care for Veterans with cancer, including expanding screening programs, risk assessments, and fostering collaborations to better understand and treat cancer among Veterans. The agency encourages Veterans to engage with their VA providers to learn more about the support available throughout their cancer care journey.
For more information on VA cancer care, Veterans can visit cancer.va.gov and explore the resources and services tailored to support them in their fight against cancer.
