January 29, 2001

Currently, those services are contracted out to dozens of individual doctors and medical facilities.

The new agreement will produce better and more coordinated care, as patients and residents will now be treated by the same medical staff at the same facility.

"This agreement will complement the excellent medical care we currently provide our veterans," says Eugene Migliaro Jr., commissioner of veterans' affairs. "It will also greatly improve communications among those treating our patients. As part of a single-source provider, the medical staff will be more familiar with a patient's individual needs and medical history."

UConn medical specialists will be at the veterans' facility in Rocky Hill throughout the week to treat patients and residents. They will also be available for medical consultations.

Previously, DVA patients requiring special medical treatment were transported to several hospitals in the area. Under the new agreement, all patients needing special care will be treated at the Health Center in Farmington.

Medical specialties the Health Center will offer the veterans include: ophthalmology, neurology, orthopedics, dermatology, urology, and oral surgery.

"This is a very exciting opportunity to extend and coordinate the care our veterans receive," says Paula McManus, director of planning, network development and managed care at the Health Center. McManus was the Health Center's principal representative in working out the agreement with the DVA.

"This agreement with the Department of Veterans Affairs reflects the commitment of the Health Center to community service and public health initiatives for the state's citizens, as envisioned with the creation of the Connecticut Health Signature Program," she says.

Peter J. Deckers, the Health Center's executive vice president for health affairs, says, "We are gratified the department has selected the Health Center. We look forward to furthering our public mission by enhancing care for veterans in our state."