By Larry Dandridge
The Coastal S.C. Chapter of the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) awarded its Second Quarter 2023 Outstanding Service Award to the Beaufort VA Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC), at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 3, 2023. The award consisted of a lovely team plaque – and a letter of commendation for each of the members of the CBOC Leadership Team.
AUSA’s Chapter Vice President for Veteran Affairs, Lt. Col. Larry Dandridge (Retired) presented the award to the Beaufort CBOC Leaders – Lead Physician Christopher Murphy, Nurse Manager Laura Deaton, and Supervisory Advanced Medical Support Assistant, Patrick Talbert.
The Award Plaque stated that the leadership team and the other 61 employees at the Beaufort CBOC are known throughout the Lowcountry for practicing servant leadership and a tireless commitment to excellent service. Providing kind, compassionate, highly skilled, and empathetic care to veterans and their families is the constant goal of the Beaufort CBOC. The Beaufort CBOC leaders are unsung heroes and they are each one of the reasons the CBOC gets high numbers of positive customer surveys and dozens of compliments from the veterans it serves.
“The Beaufort VA CBOC Leaders are examples for other health professionals to follow and are one of the reasons that the Ralph H. Johnson VA Healthcare System is a world-class Patient and Family Centered Care (PFCC) team,” I said.
Nominations for this award
The Coastal S.C. Chapter of AUSA presents its’ Outstanding Service Award to a different VA healthcare employee or team four times each year. If you would like to nominate a team or employee for this prestigious award, please contact Registered Nurse Jennifer Neville, the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center’s Chief of Customer Experience at 843-789-7488 or email Jennifer.Neville@va.gov.
Past awards
Past Coastal S.C. AUSA Chapter Outstanding Service Awards have been presented to the RHJVAHCS 4B South Nursing Team, an Intensive Care Nurse, the Medical Center ER Team, the Hospice Team, the ER Mental Health Team, the Patient Advocate Chief, a past Chief of Patient Experience, and others.
More about the Beaufort VA CBOC
Beaufort CBOC Address: The Beaufort CBOC is part of the Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System (RHJVAHCS), which in turn is part of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). The Beaufort CBOC main office is located in Naval Hospital Beaufort, on the fourth floor, with some services on other floors.
The Beaufort CBOC address is 1 Pinckney Boulevard, Beaufort, S.C. 29902-6122. The CBOC’s main phone number is 843-770-0444. The mental health number is 843-789-6500.
Beaufort CBOC Hours of Operation: The clinic is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and is closed on Saturdays and Sundays.
CBOC Free Parking and Wheelchairs: Beaufort CBOC parking is free. Wheelchairs are available upon arrival for patients who need them to access the building.
CBOC Health Services Offered: Primary Care (family and internal medicine), Physical Therapy-Occupational Therapy- Kinesiotherapy (PT, OT, KT), Radiology, Dermatology (skin conditions and diseases), Laboratory and Pathology (blood draw and clinical testing), and Mental Health (behavioral health including addiction, depression, anxiety, trauma, PTSD, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, OCD, and others).
Appointments: Veterans can make an appointment at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center (RHJVAMC) or one of its’ CBOCs if the veteran is enrolled in VA healthcare and the veteran is registered as a patient at VA Charleston health care. Learn more about how to make an appointment at the Beaufort CBOC or the RHJVAMC at https://bit.ly/3rzXYh6.
Average number of days to get an appointment: Existing patient – two days;, new patient – 24 days. The VA will work with veterans to schedule an appointment with the shortest wait time. In some cases, the VA may schedule your appointment at another VA medical center or clinic, or refer you to a non-VA medical provider in your community. For urgent health issues, the VA offers same-day appointments, telehealth visits, or walk-in express care. Check with your local VA medical center or CBOC to confirm the availability of these services.
Enroll in VA Health Care: A veteran may be eligible for VA healthcare benefits if he or she served in the active military, naval, or air service and did not receive a dishonorable discharge. If a veteran is not enrolled in VA healthcare, they should find out if they are eligible for VA healthcare benefits by reading the information on the VA Eligibility For VA Health Care webpage at https://bit.ly/3cuf4Vm. Veterans can enroll in VA health care by following the instructions at https://bit.ly/3B7x5Dz or by visiting the RHJVAMC or the Beaufort CBOC. Veterans can apply for VA healthcare by phone, by mail, in person, and with the help of a trained and VA-accredited professional (Veterans Service Officer, Claims Agent, or Attorney). VSO services are free. The RHJVAMC Eligibility and Enrollment Office phone number is 843-789-7008.
Register for VA Healthcare: If a veteran is already enrolled in VA healthcare and has just moved to the Beaufort area or needs to change their medical center or primary care provider in the area, the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston and the Beaufort CBOC can help. Just call or visit the RHJVAMC or the Beaufort CBOC to get started.
The bottom line: The Beaufort VA Community-Based Outpatient Clinic is a great asset to veterans in Beaufort and the surrounding counties. Read more about the Beaufort CBOC at https://bit.ly/3Qcu2B7.
Larry Dandridge is a Vietnam War wounded warrior, disabled veteran, ex-Enlisted Infantryman, ex-Warrant Officer Pilot, and retired Lt. Colonel. He is a past Veterans Service Officer, a Patient Adviser at the RHJ VA Hospital, the Fisher House Charleston Good Will Ambassador, and the VP for Veteran Affairs for the local Army Association Chapter. Larry is the author of the award-winning book Blades of Thunder and a contributing free-lance writer with the Island News. Contact him at LDandridge@earthlink.net or 843-276-7164.
