In 2011, 190,000 veterans and their families made over 1.3 million visits to VA Vet Centers.

There’s a good chance that thousands more never had the chance to go.

There are currently 300 VA Centers sprinkled across the country. But for veterans who live too far from these centers, or who don’t have the means to travel to one, medical care can become a luxury, not a necessity.

This year the VA added 20 mobile vet centers to their fleet of mobile doctors to help even the most far-flung veterans.

The customized vehicles crisscross the U.S., paying extra visits to rural communities, and are equipped to provide confidential counseling, preventative health care screening, vaccinations and routine primary care. There are already 50 Mobile Vet Centers on the road. In 2011, the vehicles visited more than 3,600 federal, state and locally sponsored veteran-related events.

The 20 new mobile Vet Centers will be based at Birmingham, Ala.; San Diego, Calif.; Atlanta, Ga.; Western Oahu, Hawaii; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Evanston, Ill.; Indianapolis, Ind.; Baltimore, Md.; Pontiac, Mich.; and Kansas City, Mo.; Jackson, Miss.; Greensboro, N.C.; Lakewood, N.J.; Reno, Nev.; Stark County, Ohio; Lawton, Okla.; Ponce, Puerto Rico; Nashville, Tenn.; Washington County, Utah; and Green Bay, Wis.

To find a Vet Center in your area, please visit www.vetcenter.va.gov.