Building a Veteran-Centric Culture

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Building a Veteran-Centric Culture

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Content

• The imperative
• Who are our Veterans and what are their unique
  needs?
• Ideas and practices that help facilitate a
  Veteran-centric culture and mindset
• Next steps

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Veterans Health Administration 21 Veterans
Integrated Service Networks
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Veteran Statistics
Peak Year 2006 FY2010 FY2011 FY2012 FY2013 FY2014
Veteran Deaths 687,576 670,640 662,704 653,667 643,690 632,931
Living Veterans 22.7M 22.6M 22.1M 21.7M 21.3M 20.8M
lt 25 of all deaths in US are Veterans lt 4 of
Veteran deaths are in VA facilities 33 of
Veterans are enrolled in VA
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Unique Needs of Veterans

• Impact of military service on Veteran and family
• Clinical issues
• Psychosocial issues
• Veterans benefits

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Mr. Burns Remembering Vietnam
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How can we meet Veterans unique needs?

• Identify patients who are Veterans
• Determine their needs
• Clinical
• Benefits
• Bereavement
• Volunteer
• Educate staff
• Work collaboratively with other providers and
  across venues

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What is Veteran-centric?

• Focuses on the needs, desires and treatment of
  our Veterans
• Requires Veteran responsibility and
  accountability
• Depends on communication, coordination and
  collaboration among healthcare providers

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What is Veteran-centric?

• Focuses on the needs, desires and treatment of
  Veterans
• Assessments identify
• Health issues associated with military service
• Benefits to which Veterans may be entitled
• Impact of military service on Veteran and family
  members
• Goals of care honor Veterans preferences

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What is Veteran-centric?

• Requires Veteran responsibility and
  accountability
• Equips Veterans and providers with practical
  health information
• Emphasizes outreach activities
• Provides Veteran and family education
• Employs Advance Care Planning and goal setting

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What is Veteran-centric?

• Depends on communication, coordination and
  collaboration among healthcare providers
• Availability of patient records and health
  information
• Flow of data and information among system
  participants
• Clinical services and administrative processes
  are coordinated

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What can Hospices do?

• Create local, state and VISN Hospice-Veteran
  Partnerships to build mutual trust and respect
• Track, trend and improve quality
• Bereaved Family Survey (VA)
• Family Evaluation of Hospice Care or equivalent
  (hospice)

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What can Hospices do?

• Increase provider expertise and heighten Veteran
  awareness
• Share professional educational activities to
  build Veteran-specific knowledge and skills
• Educate Veterans in your communities

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What can Hospices do?

• Identify patients who have military experience
• Improve communication and data flow among all
  providers of care and services for Veterans
• Identify and solve regional and local barriers
  together
• Learn each others SOPs and WIIFMs

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The WIIFM Factor

• Whats In It For Me?
• Acknowledges and respects all interest positions
  and cultural differences
• Language of organization
• Rules, regulations and SOP
• Perceptions
• Provides opportunities to identify and address
  misunderstandings and barriers

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Moving beyond WIIFM

• WIIFU Whats In It For Us?
• Creates a culture that includes Veteran-centric
  activities
• Moves the focus from individual organizations to
  partnership
• Moves from organizations needs and goals to
  Veterans needs and goals
• Taps into a shared value of honoring our Nations
  Veterans

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• Military History Toolkit
• Military History Checklist and Guide
• Slide sets
• Service related Clinical Issues
• Homelessness
• Veterans Benefits
• Resource and background materials

www.WeHonorVeterans.org
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Basic Information
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Military Background
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VA Benefits Information
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Resources
Resource Website
We Honor Veterans campaign Military History Checklist Educational materials Outreach resources www.WeHonor.Veterans.org Email Veterans_at_nhpco.org
Department of Veterans Affairs Veteran data Veterans Health Administration locations Veterans Benefits National Cemetery Administration National Center for PTSD www.va.gov www.va.gov/vetdata www.va.gov/directory/guide www.vba.va.gov www.cem.va.gov www.ptsd.va.gov