Veterans can now get health care referrals locally
Franklin. Veterans who used to have to drive more than an hour for referrals for services like like MRIs, mammograms, ultrasounds, and cancer screenings may now get them at the Newton ImageCare Center.
Newton /
| 27 Oct 2020 | 02:35
U.S. Rep. Gottheimer with Sussex and Warren County veterans (Photo provided)
U.S. Rep. Gottheimer with (left to right) former Newton American Legion Commander and former State Vice Commander Tony Gallopo, Vernon Mayor Howard Burrell, Newton American Legion Post #86 officer Ray Dalton, and Commander of the Newton American Legion Post #86 Harry Kaplan. (Photo provided)
Veterans in northwestern New Jersey will be able to receive referrals for health care services like like MRIs, mammograms, ultrasounds, and cancer screenings, at the Newton ImageCare Center.
This brings referrals much closer to home than the previous location referral facility, the East Orange VA Medical Center.
U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) made the announcement on Oct. 15. He said he worked with the New Jersey VA Health Care Director, the VA Community Care Network, and health care delivery provider Optum to cut the red tape. He was joined by Harry Kaplan, Commander of the Newton American Legion Post #86; Tony Gallopo, former Newton American Legion Commander and former State Vice Commander; Newton American Legion Post #86 officer Ray Dalton; Vernon Mayor Howard Burrell; Jay Christy, Sussex County Community College Veterans Coordinator; Newton Mayor Sandra Diglio; Dr. Robert Ranley, founding partner of ImageCare Centers; Dr. Richard Snellings, VP of ImageCare Centers; Dr. Steven Lee, founding partner of ImageCare Centers; Dale Horlacher, C.O.O. of ImageCare Centers; Connie Perna, Practice Manager at the ImageCare Centers.
Veterans throughout New Jersey will now be able to receive referrals for health care services at any ImageCare Center in their community, he said. In the Fifth District, that includes the Newton, Franklin, and Vernon locations.
Previously, veterans in Sussex and Warren counties had to drive more than an hour to other facilities for radiological services. Gottheimer heard from local veterans service organization members that many sick veterans who require specialized care have difficulty traveling these distances.
“After visiting this CBOC with the American Legion, and hearing about the maddening fact that many were unable to receive referrals to the ImageCare facility literally next door, it became one of my top priorities in my fight to improve their access to care,” Gottheimer said
The Fifth District is home to 32,000 veterans and their families.