As many of you know, I am the new director at VA Northern Indiana Health Care System.

Since my arrival on Dec. 3, the VA center team has begun many positive initiatives in an effort to restart all appropriate inpatient care. The VA center team began a Rapid Process Integrated Workgroup to establish processes and policies for veterans’ care.

What does this mean for the veteran? It means veterans will experience shorter wait times, smoother transition and handoff between departments, and overall the best quality of care. I am so proud of the VA center staff for their hard work and dedication to the mission in an effort to provide our nation’s heroes excellent care.

I also want to thank our community partners. The VA center’s success is made possible with the assistance of all our community partners. Each veteran we send out to the community receives excellent, timely and efficient care. The VA center is committed to ensuring each veteran receives either a telephone follow-up or visits from VA center staff. This initiative began in December and has made a tremendous difference to the community and to relationships with veterans.

As we move forward, we will continue to keep you apprised of our efforts and timeline to restarting all appropriate inpatient care. We have begun seeing chemotherapy and blood transfusion inpatients and will continue working toward our 4East inpatient care. The VA center has made tremendous strides since my arrival, and I am proud to be the director of such a great facility surrounded by a supportive community. I look forward to meeting you, hearing from you and sharing the good news of the VA center.