In response to the resurgence of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths, VA is taking action to protect Veterans, caregivers, VA employees, volunteers and contractors.

*COVID-19 vaccines are now mandatory for all Veterans Health Administration (VHA) employees, volunteers, trainees, and contractors who work in or travel to VHA locations who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials as part of their duties.

Additionally, all federal employees and onsite federal contractors must confirm their COVID-19 vaccination status. Those who do not sign an attestation confirming their vaccination status must follow strict testing, masking, and other physical distancing protocols.

Guidance for community providers

Although VA is not requiring community providers in our network to be vaccinated for COVID-19, VA strongly encourages all community providers and their administrative staff to be fully vaccinated. VA is working with its third party administrators (TPAs), Optum and TriWest, to also strongly recommend COVID-19 vaccines for all providers in their networks.

This guidance follows recommendations by the American Hospital Association, America’s Essential Hospitals and a multi-society group of the leading infectious disease societies. The American Medical Association, American Nurses Association, American College of Physicians, American Academy of Pediatrics, Association of American Medical Colleges, and National Association for Home Care and Hospice have also endorsed mandating COVID-19 vaccination for health care workers.

Support

If you receive questions from your Veteran patients about the COVID-19 vaccine, please refer them to COVID-19 vaccines at VA. Eligible Veterans living or traveling abroad can also be reimbursed for a COVID-19 vaccine through the Foreign Medical Program.

Please contact your Third Party Administrator (TPA) or VA directly at ProviderExperience@va.gov for more information. Thank you for your partnership and commitment to the health and safety of our nation’s Veterans.

*This paragraph has been updated.

VA is receiving positive feedback from end users about how HSRM has streamlined their referral processing, both from community providers and Staff within VA.

Check out a new video about HSRM which discusses the benefits of the system and how it makes your workload more manageable. Please take a moment to hear about the positive impact HSRM has had on referral processing for the Veterans we serve. Not using HSRM yet? Learn how to sign up!

If you have questions about HSRM, please contact us at ccra@va.gov.

*Note: Please make sure to log into your HSRM account at least one every 60 days to keep your account active. If your account becomes inactive, email hsrmsupport@va.gov.

Resources 

• Health Share Referral Manager (Overview) 
• HSRM Support Points of Contact
• HSRM eLearning Lessons

VA Online Scheduling lets eligible Veterans request community provider appointments

Veterans eligible for community care can use VA Online Scheduling to request routine appointments (e.g., initial primary care appointment, nutrition, routine podiatry, optometry and audiology – hearing tests) with an in-network community provider.

When using VA Online Scheduling to request certain types of clinical appointments, the system checks for eligibility. If eligible, the Veteran can request a VA appointment or a community care provider appointment. Get more details about VA Online Scheduling on VAntage Point

Check out addition latest community care articles on VantagePoint:

• Community providers: Access recent VA webinars through VHA Train (August 13, 2021
• Enhancement allows Veterans to Self-Schedule care with community providers (July 21, 2021)
• Community care optometrist committed to Veterans (June 14, 2021)
• Community providers: CCN improvements help you care for our Veterans (May 25, 2021)

A new mini-documentary captures the COVID-19 response by the VA Rocky Mountain Network and explores the path ahead for Veteran health care.

Across VA,  clinicians, directors, and everyone involved in running our medical facilities have taken unprecedented measures to reduce exposure and safeguard our health care workers, Veterans and their family members since the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in the United States.

The video shares the professional and personal struggles of VA staff, how they’ve made adjustments to meet the threat head-on, and describes a vision for the future of Veteran health care. Ralph Gigliotti, director of the VA Rocky Mountain Network, shares more about VISN 19’s COVID-19 response in a recent blog post on VAntage Point.