It comes down to awareness. Although veterans today have more healthcare options through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) than ever before, most are unaware of their options. Health care providers, civilians, and government lack the latest information and education they need to provide the very best care to their veteran patients.

DID YOU KNOW

• Most vets believe combat is necessary for veteran classification, while most vets have never seen active combat.

• 41% of vets from the post-9/11 era have a service-related injury which affects their daily life.

• More than half of active-duty personnel who have returned to civilian life from Iraq or Afghanistan don’t seek treatment.

• Approximately 1.9 million vets are female in the U.S. as of 2017

• 11% of homeless adults in the United States are veterans.

community care providers lack veteran-specific education

Clinical staff need to build a strong relationship with their veteran patients and to do that clinicians must understand the military. To better treat veterans, community health care providers need to learn what veterans need from their civilian clinics. Quality healthcare goes beyond treatment plans and equipment. Clinics can improve their caliber of care by educating themselves on military culture awareness and training in how the VA processes payments and dispenses medical equipment to patients. 

“I just felt from personal observation that there is nothing more dislocated or alienated than a lifelong military person trying to cope in civilian life. It’s like two completely separate planets.” – Lee Child.

VA-affiliated healthcare has vastly improved, but veterans are unaware

It is important for us to address preconceived notions of the VA. Despite a recent and ongoing overhaul of the VA healthcare system, including expanded access, eligibility, streamlined appointment scheduling, and access to cutting-edge medical equipment, many veterans hold onto long-standing stigma about the VA. Being aware of how veterans view the care they receive will help create strong advocacy for today’s VA, the VCP, and the real effort being made every day to improve healthcare access and quality. 

In 2018, the VA signed a $10 billion contract with Cerner to replace its EHR platform, VistA, with Cerner’s more commonly used, easy-to-navigate product. 

Veterans struggle to understand their options and advocate for themselves

What are my medical options? Is this device covered? Is there a doctor near me? Many veterans lack the education and resources needed to advocate for themselves when visiting both government and civilian health care providers. Mistakenly, many believe they are ineligible because they have inactive combat or served in the National Guard. Our mission is to help those veterans understand how to get more out of their providers, including treatments and equipment that can help them heal faster.  

“The VA is for older vets. The VA has second-rate doctors. The VA has sub-standard, hand-me-down equipment.” These are some of the common myths among today’s veterans. 

OUR Goal

For over a decade, we’ve partnered with the VA, Department of Defense (DOD), and Veterans. We want to build trust and establish a relationship to help merge the gap between the VA, healthcare providers, and our heroes.

Our team of experts can work with you to identify the best way forward, whether you’re a community health care provider, government health care provider, or veteran.