On July 10, 2018, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced a new partnership with the National Cancer Institute (NCI). This strategic partnership will allow veterans to have better access to clinical trials across the nation. The partnership will help provide greater access to more modern treatment options for our nation’s veterans.
According to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, a clinical trial is an organized way of studying medical treatments for diseases. These medical treatments are categorized by medicines, devices or procedures. Also, they explain that these clinical trials act as research studies that help prove that medical treatments are safe and effective to use, as well as show whether one medical treatment is better than another.
By partnering with the National Cancer Institute, the Department of Veterans Affairs will be able to access, help, and treat more veterans than ever before. A statement released by the VA’s Acting Secretary, Peter O’Rourke, explained that “by increasing enrollment in these trials, [the] VA and veterans will contribute to important cancer research — this will not only help our veterans, but also advance cancer care for all Americans and people around the world.”
According to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the newly-created organization that will be working to increase access to the clinical trials is titled “The NCI and VA Interagency Group to Accelerate Trials Enrollment” or “NAVIGATE” for short. NAVIGATE will be creating 12 additional VA sites across the country. The new sites include:
- Atlanta, Georgia;
- Bronx, New York;
- Charleston, South Carolina;
- Denver, Colorado;
- Durham, North Carolina;
- Hines, Illinois;
- Long Beach, California;
- Minneapolis, Minnesota;
- Palo Alto, California;
- Portland, Oregon;
- San Antonio, Texas; and
- West Haven, Connecticut.
Aside from these twelve centers, a coordinating center will also be established in Boston, Massachusetts.
The number of sites that are to be launched cover a substantial portion of the United States. Veterans are dispersed all around the country. With NAVIGATE installing additional VA sites throughout the United States, more veterans will be able to access them, and therefore more veterans will be able to contribute to cancer research.
If you or a loved one is a veteran and have been stricken by cancer or another debilitating disease, it is important for you to contact a skilled New York veterans disability attorney. A veterans disability attorney can help you access disability benefits, including medical treatment, for service-related disabilities and illnesses. The attorneys of Sullivan & Kehoe, LLP concentrate their practice in veterans disability law. With over 50 years of combined experience between its lawyers, our attorneys may be able to assist you or a loved one in obtaining veterans disability benefits. Call our office at (800) 395 -7830 to schedule a consultation in our New York City, Garden City, Kings Park, Riverhead, or White Plains office.
