Akron VA Clinic Opens New Infusion Center

The VA’s Close to Me cancer care program will provide a wide spectrum of cancer care at the Akron VA Outpatient Clinic, reducing the need for Veterans to drive from one to three hours to the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center (LSCVAMC) for infusion treatment, and providing Veterans and their caregivers more time at home to focus on healing. 

The benefit of a nearby Akron Clinic infusion service also isn’t just seen in hours recovered for patients, but in treatment success, and data from other VA locations shows clinic-based local infusion sites can cut appointment no-shows in half. Due to possible difficulties with transportation to distant medical center infusion treatment locations, patients may sometimes not be able to keep up with a full treatment regimen, skipping whole days or weeks when transportation became an issue. 

The Akron VA Clinic Infusion Center will also allow more Veterans to utilize VA care, which is proven to be the best care in America for Veterans. 

“This infusion center ensures that our veterans in the Akron area have access to the high-quality cancer care they deserve within the comfort and support of their own community,” said Dr. Michelle Treasure, chief of Medical Oncology at the LSCVAMC. “With the opening of the new Center we estimate serving an additional 750 veterans a year with cancer much closer to home, under the care of our growing oncology care team in Akron.” 

Following a pilot program at the Pittsburgh VA Healthcare System, the Close to Me infusion program has been gearing up quickly. In March 2023, 12 VA facilities across the country, including Cleveland, were selected to implement eight community-based outpatient clinic care models, three home care models, and one mobile infusion unit site as a part of Close to Me. 

Cleveland joined Salt Lake City, Houston, Minneapolis, northern Indiana, Ann Arbor, Erie, and Puerto Rico among the eight VA medical centers selected to implement this innovative new program at outpatient clinics to better serve rural Veteran cancer patients. Major funding has been provided from the VA’s National Oncology Program (NOP).

On April 25, 2024, the VA announced further expansion of the Close to Me cancer care program that will bring new cancer diagnosis, treatment, and surveillance services to an additional 9,000 Veterans across 30 locations by the end of October 2025. 

VA encourages Veterans to reach out to their VA provider about how VA can support them wherever they may be in their cancer care journey. Learn more about VA cancer care by visiting cancer.va.gov. 

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Contact Damien Horvath, VA Public Affairs Officer, at 216-339-5240, or Damien.Horvath@va.gov with questions or to arrange follow up interviews with local VA leadership. 

ABOUT VA NORTHEAST OHIO HEALTHCARE SYSTEM: Focusing on treating the whole Veteran through health promotion and disease prevention, VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System provides comprehensive, seamless health care and social services for more than 134,000 Veterans across Northeast Ohio. With 17 locations of care, including 12 outpatient clinics, two community resource and referral centers, a psychosocial rehabilitation and recovery center, a chronic dialysis center, and an outpatient surgery center, VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System’s quality services are easily accessible to Veterans in 21 counties. VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System also contributes to the future of medicine through education, training, and research programs. 

For more information about programs and services offered by VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System, visit www.cleveland.va.gov or follow us on Facebook @ClevelandVAMC.