FORT HOOD, Texas  –   Leaders from Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center and the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System are working together to expand access to care for Veterans and active-duty service members across the region.

The partnership isn’t new. For the past three years, the two health systems have collaborated to improve access, strengthen training, and ensure patients receive care when and where they need it.

“One example is, any VA beneficiary who is in a behavioral health crisis can come to our emergency room, and we’ll make sure they get the right care,” said Col. Brian Cahill, CRDAMC chief nursing officer. “If someone arrives with a broken leg, we can perform orthopedic surgery. If the patient needs care we don’t offer, we’ll guide them to the appropriate resources or facility.”

“We understand the culture they come from and the service they’ve given — something not all civilian providers do,” Cahill added. “So, when a 27-year-old Marine Veteran is in crisis, we not only know how to help, but we also understand why it matters.”

A variety of CRDAMC residents and trainees rotate through the VA’s clinical services, including emergency, psychiatry, internal medicine, anesthesia and cardiology. These rotations give trainees experience caring for Veterans, working in another health care system, and learning from VA clinical educators.

“These rotations allow our Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard trainees to care for Veterans of our armed forces and honor their service, to gain further experience in medical and surgical conditions, and to see the full breadth of federal health care provided to our Veterans,” said Col. Drew Baird, CRDAMC director of medical education. “That partnership is essential to CRDAMC’s mission to generate a ready medical force for the Department of Defense.”

The partnership also supports behind-the-scenes work that keeps care moving for patients across both systems.

“We have sharing agreements in place that allow us to send Veterans to CRDAMC, just as they can send their patients to us,” said Canaan Brumley, Central Texas VA Public Affairs. “We also have an agreement that allows both facilities to use sterilization services as needed, and our Waco laundry plant supports CRDAMC by providing laundry and linen services.”

“We’re also working on a new agreement that would expand this partnership even further, allowing us to share space when needed, including warehouse, storage and clinical areas,” he added.

Together, the two organizations continue to build a system that ensures every eligible Veteran and service member in Central Texas has access to timely, coordinated and culturally informed care.