{"id":557,"date":"2026-08-04T04:44:22","date_gmt":"2026-08-04T04:44:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thirstier.news\/?p=557"},"modified":"2026-08-04T04:44:22","modified_gmt":"2026-08-04T04:44:22","slug":"improving-access-to-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thirstier.news\/?p=557","title":{"rendered":"Improving access to care"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Bringing care home<\/h2>\n

Rural Veterans who need a new brace or prosthesis are aware of the barriers to care. It can mean planning for a long drive to your local VA, hoping traffic isn\u2019t too bad, and bracing yourself for hours in waiting rooms. Sometimes, you must ask a friend or family member to take the day off just to get you there. For a lot of Veterans, the hassle meant putting off care or skipping it altogether.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s exactly why the Mobile Prosthetic and Orthotic Care (MoPOC)<\/a> truck exists. It\u2019s not just a vehicle. It\u2019s a promise that you matter, no matter your ZIP code.<\/p>\n

A clinic that comes to you<\/h2>\n
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Photo of the Orthotics and Prosthetics workshop that is inside of the MoPOC truck along with Army Veteran James Turners prosthetic leg that is getting a tune up. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

With support from VA\u2019s Office of Rural Health<\/a>, the MoPOC program takes the full range of prosthetic and orthotic care on the road. Three times a week, the MoPOC <\/a>team rolls into Tyler, Greenville and Granbury, Texas. It brings fittings, repairs and adjustments right to local clinics, so Veterans can get the help they need without leaving their communities.<\/p>\n

The MoPOC truck changed the life of Army Veteran James Turner. \u201cBefore this, I had to get my neighbor to drive me to Dallas every time I needed a fitting, and sometimes I\u2019d have to wait a month just to be seen,\u201d he shared. \u201cNow, VA comes to me. I can walk better, I\u2019m in less pain and I feel like I matter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Care that\u2019s local, fast and personal<\/h2>\n

MoPOC means Veterans get appointments faster, closer to home and with people who understand what service really means. The numbers are impressive. More satisfied Veterans, better access and real savings for VA. But the real story is the impact on everyday life.<\/p>\n

Ligia Miguel-Ghaziosharif, the certified prosthetist and orthotist who travels with the truck, knows the difference this makes. An Air Force Veteran herself, she brings that same sense of mission to every appointment.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery Veteran who steps onto the truck is more than just a patient, they\u2019re family,\u201d Miguel-Ghaziosharif said. \u201cI know what it means to serve, and I know how much independence matters. Our goal is to give Veterans the freedom to live life on their own terms, wherever they call home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Building trust, one visit at a time<\/h2>\n
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Certified Prosthetist-Orthotist (CPO) Ligia Miguel-Ghaziosharif, leader of the Mobile Prosthetic and Orthotic Care (MoPOC) truck at VA North Texas while she is working on adjusting and fixing a Veterans prosthetic leg in the trucks workshop.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Dr. Corinthus Pittman, who helped get MoPOC off the ground, believes meeting Veterans where they are is the real heart of the program. \u201cThis isn\u2019t just about convenience,\u201d Pittman explained. \u201cIt\u2019s about honoring our commitment to Veterans by removing barriers to care. The MoPOC truck lets us meet Veterans where they are, and that means better outcomes, higher satisfaction and healthier lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Veterans themselves have said it best. In a recent Journal of Rural Health<\/a> study, they reported not just high satisfaction with MoPOC, but real improvements in quality of life. For many, it\u2019s the difference between feeling left behind and feeling seen.<\/p>\n

As the MoPOC truck travels the backroads of North Texas, it isn\u2019t just delivering care. It\u2019s delivering respect, dignity and the simple truth that every Veteran deserves to be remembered and cared for right where they are.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Topics in this story<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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Access<\/a>mobile prosthetic care<\/a>orthotics<\/a>Prosthetics<\/a>Rural Health<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Link Disclaimer<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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This page includes links to other websites outside our control and jurisdiction. VA is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of non-VA Web sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policy or terms and conditions of those sites to fully understand what information is collected and how it is used.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Source: Prosthetics \u2013 VA News<\/a><\/p>\n

Source: Prosthetics \u2013 VA News<\/a>. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

VA is improving access to care for Veterans in rural areas with the Mobile Prosthetic and Orthotic Care truck.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":221,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[85],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-557","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-u-s-veterans-health-care"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thirstier.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/557","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thirstier.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thirstier.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thirstier.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thirstier.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=557"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thirstier.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/557\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":770,"href":"https:\/\/thirstier.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/557\/revisions\/770"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thirstier.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/221"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thirstier.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=557"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thirstier.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=557"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thirstier.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=557"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}