VA to Expand Cancer Care in Colorado Springs

Description: A nurse in the infusion clinic at the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center in Aurora, Co. assists Navy Veteran Rick Smith during his chemotherapy treatment.

VA to Expand Cancer Care in Colorado Springs 

AURORA, Colo. — Through VA’s Close to Me program, VA Eastern Colorado Heath Care System will begin providing infusion cancer care at the PFC Floyd K. Lindstrom VA Clinic in Colorado Springs. Close to Me awarded VA ECHCS a grant that will provide $525,000 for two years to hire two registered nurses, a pharmacy technician, and an advanced practice provider to provide anti-cancer therapies. The infusion clinic project kicked off on July 18 and the clinic is slated to open in Spring 2025.

VA ECHCS provides anti-cancer infusion like chemotherapy, which can require up to three medical appointments per week, for over 200 Veterans in southern Colorado. Veterans can travel to Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center in Aurora or can be referred to community providers for this care. However, due to a shortage of capacity for infusion care in Colorado Springs, Veterans referred to community care are often still required to travel to the Denver metro area several times per week.

“Veterans who need anti-cancer therapy are already going through one of the hardest times of their lives. This initiative helps us make their treatment a little bit easier by giving it closer to home,” said Dr. Christiane Thienelt, Acting Chief of Oncology. “Local treatment in Colorado Springs will reduce the strain of traveling for this care. We’re happy that we can add to our services in Colorado Springs that supports some of our sickest patients.”

Navy Veteran Rick Smith completed his infusion treatment with the VA ECHCS Infusion team in April of 2024.

“The care, concern, and compassion that I received from the VA health care system was unmatched. I received infusion treatment for over four years and had four stage 4 cancers that effected different parts of my body. The VA is responsible for keeping me alive,” said Smith. “The team at VA ECHCS gave me a new life. I would encourage all Eastern Colorado veterans facing similar issues to stay strong and take advantage of your VA benefits.”

VA’s Close to Me cancer care service is designed to bring high quality cancer care closer to home. Under this program, VA will provide Veterans with the full continuum of cancer care at local outpatient clinic rather than requiring travel to Aurora. Close to Me ensures more Veterans have the option to choose VA for their cancer care journey. By reducing travel demands to major, and often urban, medical centers, Veterans and their caregivers are afforded more time to go about their daily lives and focus on healing.

Close to Me cancer care has had zero reported medical emergencies during treatment to date, has high patient satisfaction among Veterans, and has a 99% treatment adherence rate. Since the inception of the program in 2021, nearly 500 Veterans have had cancer treatments closer to home in over 20 community-based outpatient clinic locations, reducing travel for Veterans and their caregivers by more than 200,000 miles.

This work is a part of fulfilling President Biden’s Unity Agenda and the Biden Cancer Moonshot and VA’s aggressive efforts to provide world-class care for over one million Veterans on the cancer care continuum, from screening to survivorship. 

See Rick Smith talk about his cancer journey at VA ECHCS on Youtube.  

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