Local and area veterans will have an opportunity to hear about the ARCH Project and ask questions during a presentation at the Great Bend Senior Center, 2005 Kansas.

The event is set for 1 p.m. Friday, April 11; it will last about 45 minutes, and is free and open to the public. The Great Bend Recreation Commission is hosting the presentation.

          ARCH, which stands for Access Received Closer to Home, is a federal pilot program that allows area veterans to seek more of their health-care services at St. Rose Ambulatory & Surgery Center.

          “Participation in ARCH makes veterans’ lives a little easier and less stressful,” said Mark Mingenback, director of business strategy and marketing at St. Rose. “Their travel time is greatly reduced, which is so important for veterans and their families.

“Supporting our veterans is consistent with our core values, and St. Rose wants to do all it can to provide as much health care close to home as possible,” added Mingenback, who will lead the program at the Senior Center.

Veterans may receive a wide range of services through ARCH. In many cases, health-care providers at St. Rose Family Medicine & Urgent Care and Great Bend Internists help them manage issues involving chronic diseases.

These conditions include diabetes, heart disease, high cholesterol, depression, high blood pressure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

“Our doctors, nurses and physician assistants are hearing positive feedback from veterans already involved in ARCH,” Mingenback noted. “We encourage other veterans and their families to learn more about it during our presentation at the Senior Center.”

St. Rose is part of Centura Health, which connects individuals and families across western Kansas and Colorado with more than 6,000 physicians, 15 hospitals, seven senior-living communities, physician practices and clinics, and home-care and hospice services.