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Marion VA Health Care System gets new leader in Dr. Megan Neely

The Southern Illinoisan - 3/11/2023

Mar. 10—MARION — A change of command has taken place within the VA Health Care System.

Dr. Megan Neely is the new Chief of Primary Care Service, a post which heads up a team of 50 plus providers who serve over 40,000 veterans throughout Southern Illinois. Neely's task will be to oversee the selection process of new providers, in addition to oversight of the ongoing education of medical staff of physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners who provide medical care to veterans.

A large focus is strengthening primary care services already in place, Neely said, while continually developing and improving those services.

Neely, a wife of a veteran and mother of three, says that seeing patients succeed in their health helps her deal with the stresses of the medical profession. Having her own healthy lifestyle also helps.

"I find that maintaining a routine that includes exercise, healthy eating, prayer, spending time with loved ones, and exploring the outdoors all help me focus on the tasks ahead," Neely said.

Neely has deep roots in Southern Illinois: a Du Quoin native, an Illinois Wesleyan University and Southern Illinois University Medical School graduate, and now a Mount Vernon resident, Neely knows the region and what challenges she faces in her role.

"The challenges are to provide this type of care to a large population across the region in a timely, efficient manner," Neely said. "We are expanding care to the ever-growing population of women veterans and have programs and people dedicated to address this need."

Some of the ways Neely and her team will address those needs will be to offer alternative medical relief for veterans suffering with chronic pain. Neely says the VA will expand its whole-health services to include non-traditional medicine such as battlefield acupuncture, tai chi, and massage therapy.

Additionally, to meet the needs of those in Southern Illinois, telemedicine services will be used to reach those too far from a VA medical facility or who are too ill to go there. "We will continue to push forward to modernize the delivery of health care while keeping the human aspect at the forefront," Neely said.

Though the top spot in the leadership position may have changed hands, don't expect too many changes from Neely downstream.

"Being new to the position, it is not my place to jump right in and suggest any changes unless I feel that they impact patient safety," Neely said, who noted that veteran patient satisfaction is very high at present, so, she says: "We are doing something right!"

Neely, who worked as a VA Primary Care Physician for the past four years, knows that the VA Medical is a team which must work together to ensure veteran patient satisfaction, the end zone of medicine.

"I want to see how the team provides care across our health care system and then in the future evaluate any potential changes based on any shifts in those satisfaction scores," she said.

Neely says she looks forward to the rewards of hearing from veterans and colleagues about the VA primary care team delivering quality, compassionate, individualized care to veterans and intends to "lead with my heart, striving to keep the veteran first."

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