VA closes Northampton County outpatient clinic over workload caused by the pandemic
The Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center has announced it will be temporarily closing the Northampton County Clinic in the vicinity of Bangor as of 4:30 p.m. today. It was a short notice notification. Those seeking seeking in-person care will have to travel to the Allentown Outpatient Clinic or Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center, both over 45 minutes away from the current location.
Their announcement stated that this was being done out of an abundance of caution related to the transmission of the COVID-19 coronavirus illness. A little late to think of that.
The greater truth is that the majority of patients at the Northampton County facility have been receiving care virtually; and since there are only a small number physically using the facility currently, it made sense to management to maintain the virtual care and move the employees to the VA’s Allentown facility at 3110 Hamilton Blvd. in South Whitehall Township for the sake of efficient and gainful employment of their staff.
All patients with clinic appointments will be contacted by their VA Patient Aligned Care (PACT) Team to discuss alternative treatment options. You can contact your PACT Team by dialing (570) 824-3521 Option 2. You might want to ask about Community Care Network alternatives.
In summary, for veterans assigned to the Northampton County facility, clinic care options remain available via video, telephone or an in-person visit at another VA location.
Sources:
1. VA Media Release, Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center, dated 3 June 2020.
2. VA closes Northampton County outpatient clinic due to COVID-19, workload concerns
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As of 4 June 2020