VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System is announcing today the opening of the first northeast Ohio satellite cancer treatment infusion center in the Akron VA Outpatient Clinic.
The VA’s Close to Me cancer care program will provide a wide spectrum of cancer care at the clinic, reducing the need for veterans to drive from one to three hours to the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center for infusion treatment.
Akron VA Outpatient Clinic is located at 55 West Waterloo Road, Akron 44319-1116. The phone number is 330-724-7715.
Data from other VA locations shows clinic-based local infusion sites can cut appointment no-shows in half. Due to possible difficulties with transportation to distant medical center infusion treatment locations, patients may sometimes not be able to keep up with a full treatment regimen, skipping whole days or weeks when transportation became an issue.
“This infusion center ensures that our veterans in the Akron area have access to the high-quality cancer care they deserve within the comfort and support of their own community,” said Dr. Michelle Treasure, chief of Medical Oncology at the LSCVAMC.
“With the opening of the new Center we estimate serving an additional 750 veterans a year with cancer much closer to home, under the care of our growing oncology care team in Akron,” Treasure said.
Following a pilot program at the Pittsburgh VA Healthcare System, the Close to Me infusion program has been gearing up quickly. In March 2023, 12 VA facilities across the country, including Cleveland, were selected to implement eight community-based outpatient clinic care models, three home care models, and one mobile infusion unit site as a part of Close to Me.
Cleveland joined Salt Lake City, Houston, Minneapolis, northern Indiana, Ann Arbor, Erie, and Puerto Rico among the eight VA medical centers selected to implement this new program at outpatient clinics to better serve rural veteran cancer patients. Major funding has been provided from the VA’s National Oncology Program.
On April 25, the VA announced further expansion of the Close to Me cancer care program that will bring new cancer diagnosis, treatment, and surveillance services to an additional 9,000 Veterans across 30 locations by the end of October 2025.
VA encourages veterans to reach out to their VA provider about how VA can support them wherever they may be in their cancer care journey. Learn more about VA cancer care by visiting cancer.va.gov….
About: VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System provides comprehensive health care and social services for more than 134,000 veterans across Northeast Ohio. With 17 locations, including 12 outpatient clinics, two community resource and referral centers, a psychosocial rehabilitation and recovery center, a chronic dialysis center, and an outpatient surgery center, VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System’s services are accessible to veterans in 21 counties. VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System also contributes to the future of medicine through education, training and research programs.
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