Togus Veterans Administration Medical Center in Augusta will accept veterans brought in by ambulance in the new year.

The hospital has not historically received its patients by ambulance transport, but will now accept veterans so long as they do not require care for certain conditions the facility cannot treat, including trauma, obstetrics and gynecology services, dialysis treatment or severe heart attack, according to an announcement from Maine Emergency Medical Services.

The move was driven by a federal directive ordering VA hospitals with emergency departments to accept patients by ambulance. If a facility does not comply, it would have to surrender its acute care and inpatient capability, Maine EMS officials say.

Togus is Maine’s only veterans hospital, and the nation’s first. It has an around-the-clock emergency department and provides veterans with primary and specialty health services.

It also employs a significant portion of Veteran Affairs Maine’s 1,821 staff members, which recent reports say may be swept up in a series of nationwide personnel changes and reductions by attrition.

Togus has already eliminated multiple doctor and nursing positions, according to a VA Maine employee, although a spokesperson for the health system said there will be no changes to staffing or operations.

Ambulance workers should call Togus officials to decide if the hospital is the best destination for a patient, given its care limitations, Maine EMS says. Spouses and family members of veterans are not eligible for transport.

Ideal candidates for transport are those experiencing behavioral health issues, general illness, symptoms from chronic conditions and substance use disorder detoxification, according to Maine EMS.