Virtua Health: 'Here to Serve' military health needs

Jessica Perry//November 2, 2021

Staff members from Virtua Health’s Here to Serve initiative stand outside a program site near Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. From left: Stephanie Paluchowski, physical therapist; Dawn Gray, Here to Serve navigator; Aqssa Rehman, CT/X-ray technologist; Dr. Eugene Klifto, radiologist; Michelle Smith, physical therapy team lead; and Katie Lepore, MRI technologist. – VIRTUA HEALTH

A week ahead of Veteran’s Day, South Jersey’s largest health care system is launching a program to better serve the local military community.

On Nov. 2, Virtua Health announced its Here to Serve initiative, which it says is crafted to benefit the distinct health care needs of service men and women.

The multidisciplinary program features a personal health navigator to coordinate care for both veterans and active-duty members of the military, with a particular focus, Virtua said, on those stationed at Burlington County’s Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.

A priority of the program is to increase access to health services for active-duty personnel at JB MDL.

“We want those who serve our nation to concentrate on getting and staying well,” said Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer Dr. Reg Blaber. “Our process is simple: call us and we’ll handle the details.”

Dr. Reginald Blaber has been named president of Lourdes Health System. — Blaber

Here to Serve offers expedited access to specialty care, including medical imaging and physical therapy options at Virtua Health & Wellness Center – New Hanover, located less than a mile from JB MDL.

Virtua credited Blaber’s own connection to military service and care as an asset to helping the system address the needs of veterans, current military members and their families. He served in the U.S. Army for six years as an internist, achieving the rank of major while working at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Fort Benning and Fort Meade.