26-03-2025
VA Secretary: Tennessee Valley Healthcare System is a model for veterans care
When I became U.S. Veterans Affairs secretary, I promised to ensure every veteran receives the high-quality care they deserve. To meet that pledge, I'm visiting VA facilities across the country to see firsthand what's working, what's not and how we can best serve Veterans.
On March 17, I visited the VA Tennessee Valley Health Care System. It serves approximately 140,000 veterans across Middle Tennessee, southern Kentucky, and northern Georgia. That number continues to rise, with nearly 5,000 new veterans enrolling in the past year.
To keep pace with this growth, VA is partnering with the Department of Defense to expand care options and improve coordination for transitioning service members and veterans. In partnership with Fort Campbell's Blanchfield Army Community Hospital, VA and DOD opened two new clinics this year. This partnership will expand care to more than 3,000 local Veterans.
At the same time, we're modernizing several VA facilities like the Nashville and Alvin C. York VA Medical Centers. We're also planning to open a new Bowling Green, Kentucky, clinic in July 2028 to serve rural veterans. By 2030, VA will open three more Tennessee clinics in Clarksville, Nashville, and Cookeville, respectively. This will improve access and convenience for thousands of veterans. These investments are about expanding access and making sure Veterans receive the highest quality care.
That commitment to excellence was evident when I stepped into the Nashville VA Medical Center − the only VA medical center that offers stem cell, liver, kidney, and heart transplants, the only one with a psychiatric medical inpatient unit, and the only medical center performing all aspects of stem cell and CAR-T cell therapy in house.
What I witnessed was phenomenal. Dr. Salyka Sengsayadeth and her team are transforming lives; their work exemplifies VA's commitment to innovation and excellence.
Great VA employees throughout the Tennessee Valley Health Care System are empowering innovation, greater health care access, and cutting-edge medical advancements. Abey Lissane is one example.
Abey's a nurse whose compassion recently made a life-changing difference for a veteran struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The veteran arrived at a clinic overwhelmed and anxious, but instead of just treating his symptoms and sending him on his way, Abey took the time to listen and connect him with the critical mental health services and resources he needed.
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Abey's story is a reminder of how VA employees go above and beyond to provide veterans treatment as well as unwavering support, and I was honored to thank her during my visit.
At the Nashville Vet Center, a dedicated team provides mental health counseling, group therapy, and transition support to more than 300 veterans, service members, and their families each year.
The Nashville Vet Center stands as a model of how strong partnerships, innovative services, and a dedicated team focused on mental health can save the lives of veterans.
Providing this level of care across the department requires a workforce that can meet veterans' growing needs. That's why VA aligns staffing with evolving needs to ensure we are best positioned to serve veterans − now, and in the future. And our commitment goes beyond staffing; it extends to resources, innovations, and systems that position VA to be a leader in health care.
That commitment is why VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System stands out − where world-class care, groundbreaking innovation, and a dedicated team come together to serve those who served us. Because at VA, our mission is the veteran.
Doug Collins (@SecVetAffairs) is the 12th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. If you are veteran who needs VA assistance, please call 1-800-MyVA411 (1-800-698-2411).
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Veterans Affairs Sec: TN Valley Healthcare System is a model | Opinion
