New Denton Clinic Will Save Veterans a Trip to Dallas for Primary and Preventive Care.

IRVING, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 2, 1998--The Veterans Affairs North Texas Health Care System (VANTHCS) has inaugurated a new service for veterans in Collin, Cooke, and Denton counties who live with a 10% or more service-connected disability.

The opening of the Denton Area Primary Care Network clinic marks the arrival of a new trend in veteran healthcare. The Denton clinic will provide routine health care that most veterans need day-to-day while the VA Medical Centers in Dallas and Bonham are available for the veteran to receive treatment of illnesses requiring hospitalization or visits to medical specialists.

"Our goal is to bring primary care to our veterans within 30 miles or 30 minutes of their homes," said Alan G. Harper, director of the VANTHCS. "The new Denton clinic symbolizes our transition to an organization that improves access and provides a coordinated continuum of care."

Veterans in Collin, Cooke, or Denton counties with a 10% or more service-connected disability can enroll in the new VA primary care clinic by calling 800/621-6499.

The contract covers over 4,000 veterans of the estimated 55,000 living in these three North Texas counties.

The VANTHCS selected Foundation Health Federal Services, Inc. (FHFS) to open and operate the clinic at 1701 Broadway in Denton. It is located off Malone Street near the Denton High School West Campus. The office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

FHFS subcontracts with Spectrum Healthcare Services of St. Louis, which staffs and handles the day-to-day operations of the clinic. Together, they have opened other primary and preventive care clinics in Henderson, Nev.; Lancaster, Penn.; Kingston, N.Y.; Troy, N.Y., and Sherman, Texas.

FHFS is the nation's largest administrator of managed care programs for military families, currently serving more than 1.7 million eligible military dependents under the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS) -- now referred to as TRICARE. FHFS currently administers TRICARE programs in 11 states, including Arkansas, Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas and Washington.