PHOENIX – Vietnam-era veteran and retired lawyer Tom Henderson spends his weeks driving and dispatching fellow veterans. Whether they live in Flagstaff, Winslow or Grand Canyon Village, he and his team work to get them to their appointments.
“I sometimes tell myself I’m working harder now than I was when I was practicing law,” he said.
Disabled American Veterans volunteers like Henderson are part of a network of nonprofit and Veterans Affairs resources helping veterans – including those in remote areas – access healthcare through transportation assistance.
One of three primary VA healthcare hubs operating in Arizona, the Northern Arizona VA Health Care System, serves a dispersed population of about 34,000 patients across roughly 65,000 square miles. The system contains one medical center in Prescott and 11 clinics.
Joe Bartoli, the Northern Arizona VA’s veteran transportation program manager, said the demand he sees for transportation has increased as more veterans age, move to the region and learn about the services.
“I have 11 drivers in my veteran transportation service. One in Kingman, one in Flagstaff and the rest are out of Prescott here,” Bartoli said. “We travel anywhere from Phoenix all the way to the Utah border, subject to availability.”
All three VA systems in Arizona – Northern, Southern and Phoenix – have transportation services that connect patients to shuttles run by the VA. The program is funded through the hospital itself, the Office of Rural Health within a branch of the Department of Veterans Affairs and the national VA transportation program, according to Bartoli.
“The more rural it becomes, the more difficult it is,” Bartoli said. “We routinely pick up patients in Flagstaff, bring them down here for primary care or for specialty appointments, or vice versa. And Phoenix. We also transport patients down to the Tucson area for specialized programs.”
When demand is high, Bartoli said, they get support from partner organizations like Disabled American Veterans, an expansive national network with local headquarters in Arizona that operate state-level chapters. The organization’s volunteers operate a fleet of donated vehicles and can transport veterans able to get in and out of the vehicle independently, as the drivers are not trained medical personnel.
The national nonprofit stepped in to fill the service gap when the VA abruptly suspended reimbursement for veterans’ transportation costs in 1987. The VA later resumed reimbursement, but under stricter eligibility criteria.
In addition, Arizona’s Medicaid agency covers certain transportation benefits for all members based on their eligibility, according to a statement from an Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System spokesperson.
“We don’t turn veterans away if they call up and they need a ride,” said Bruce Nogar, a commander in the Arizona chapter of Disabled American Veterans.
According to Nogar, the majority of the veterans who receive transportation services are older and no longer able to drive, but the organization also assists homeless veterans and those who do not have access to transportation.
Dr. Rodd Marcum, primary care chief at the Northern Arizona VA Health Care System, said in addition to the geographic challenges that some northern Arizona veterans face, many experience a “digital divide.” Lack of internet restricts them in their ability to enroll in VA care and use tools meant to expand access like telehealth.
“Large parts in urban areas have ubiquitous high-speed internet,” Marcum said. “It’s not necessarily the case in many areas of our coverage … oftentimes veterans have to travel to gain access to internet.”
The VA is addressing this problem, Marcum said, through programs that provide technology and internet to veterans in need who would benefit from telehealth, as well as mobile care in rural areas.
Disabled American Veterans also helps navigate the VA’s healthcare benefits system. At its Arizona department, they are working to make this process more accessible through a new remote claims program.
According to department adjutant and CEO Carl Forkner, they have set up one station in Globe and one in the Navajo Nation so far. Laptops, printers, scanners and internet service allow veterans to connect with a service officer over video conference and get help filing.
Forkner said even though the VA allows people to file claims online, including for transportation reimbursements, getting help navigating the filing process is important because most veterans “don’t speak VA.”
Henderson said volunteering to help veterans in northern Arizona often comes with its challenges, like driving long distances and adjusting when there are more people in need of transportation than drivers. Still, “if they’ve got a VA appointment and need a ride, we’ll find a way to get them there,” he said.
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