The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has clarified that while healthcare services for veterans on Saipan are expected to expand, the facility has not yet officially been designated a Community-Based Outpatient Clinic, or CBOC.
In a statement provided by VA Community Outreach coordinator and interim public affairs officer Maurice Martin, the agency said the current Saipan VA clinic continues to operate as an outreach clinic offering limited, part-time services.
"Currently, the Saipan VA clinic operates as an outreach clinic, providing basic services on a limited, part-time basis," Martin said. "Our goal is to expand both the scope and availability of care so that the Saipan VA Clinic offers a broader range of primary care and mental health services, with more regular hours and staffing."
The clarification follows a June 23 Veterans Affairs town hall meeting, during which CNMI Office of Veterans Affairs executive officer Jose Deleon Guerrero Crisostomo discussed plans for a dedicated veterans clinic on Saipan.
According to Martin, while the public may refer to the expanded facility as a CBOC, the official designation has not yet been granted.
"Although the public may refer to this as a CBOC, the official CBOC designation is a VA administrative process," Martin said. "Regardless of the title, our priority remains: expanding services and access for Veterans on Saipan and the CNMI."
CBOC or expanded outpatient clinic, Edward Camacho, special assistant for Military Affairs and head of the Commonwealth Bureau of Military Affairs, said high time the CNMI better healthcare for its veterans.
“It’s about time we get the CBOC! But I cannot say ‘thank you’ yet until we do the ribbon cutting and have professional specialty care services being provided to our veterans,” he said in a text to Marianas Press.
The VA's clarification does not change plans to expand healthcare services on Saipan. During the town hall, officials said the future clinic is expected to provide expanded primary care and mental health services with increased staffing and more regular operating hours, reducing the need for veterans to travel off-island for routine care.
The agency has not announced when the administrative process for an official CBOC designation will be completed.
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