A Hunterdon Healthcare urgent care facility in Flemington has partnered with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to service all Hunterdon County veterans, a move that comes about two years after the closure of the last VA-approved facility in the county.
A Robert Wood Johnson urgent care center once located in a strip mall in Flemington had previously been the only VA-approved urgent care facility in the county. Upon its closure, Rich Booth, the county’s veterans services officer, made it one of his top priorities to expand health care accessibility for all Hunterdon military veterans.
“I had no idea they closed down until one of the veterans (I assist) said, ‘Hey, I went there, and nobody’s there,'" Booth said. “For almost two years, I have been hearing from veterans around the county about their need for a local urgent care center to reduce the distance they had to travel for health care that didn’t require a hospital visit."
The next closest VA-approved urgent care facility is the RWJ Physician Enterprise Urgent Care center, located in Hillsborough — a distance inconvenient to many Hunterdon veterans, according to Booth.
“There’s a lot of veterans that have alternative health care — Medicare and stuff like that — but some don’t. It became a very hot topic, and not only myself but a group of veterans around the county were trying to get a petition going to say, ‘Hey, we need something back here in Hunterdon County,'" Booth said.
Navy veteran and Flemington resident Joe Scurti (left) and fellow Navy veteran and Veterans Services officer Richard Booth (right).Caroline Fassett | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
Sonny Silva, commander for the Frenchtown-Milford Veterans of Foreign Wars, presented this petition during a Veterans Day ceremony held last November at which a number of state and local officials were present, including Hunterdon County Freeholder Sue Soloway.
“I know that they were very troubled by the one closing because of the transportation issues," Soloway, the freeholder board’s veterans liaison, said. “For a lot of these veterans, they’re older. So we wanted one closer, and we really should have one in the county.”
Last fall, Booth presented the situation to a representative of the VA during a seminar, which he said “got the ball rolling.”
“We, as the veterans, basically said, ‘Hey, there’s other urgent care facilities in Hunterdon County. Why can’t you reach out to them and contract out with them for urgent care matters?'" Booth said. “And low and behold ... it happened.’”
In April, the VA executed a contract with Hunterdon Healthcare to sponsor its facility at 63 Church St.
“To get this stamp of approval is great, and we’re very excited,” Kathleen Seelig, corporate director of public relations and marketing for Hunterdon Healthcare, said.
Soloway praised Booth’s involvement in the effort, saying, “He gets all the credit.”
“Providing a way to get immediate healthcare reduces the stress so many of our veterans have had trying to find VA-approved services in our area," Soloway said. "Credit goes to VSO Booth for shepherding the effort to regain this service for Hunterdon County through the VA process.”
To be eligible for treatment at the urgent care center, veterans must be enrolled in the VA health care system and have received care through a VA or a VA provider within the last 24 months.
VA-approved urgent care centers do not require prior authorization to receive treatment. No co-payments are collected for the first three visits if eligible.
“A veteran already enrolled in health care can go to one of these urgent care facilities and present his or health care card, and it’s free of charge," Booth explained. “Basically that health care facility bills the VA.”
Individuals can contact the new urgent care facility by calling (908) 237-4036 or visit Hunterdon Healthcare’s website for more information.
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Caroline Fassett may be reached at cfassett@njadvancemedia.com.
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