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This month, I want to emphasize the potential risks and challenges associated with prescription opioids and suicide prevention. While prescription opioids are an option for managing pain, it can be dangerous, even when prescribed and directed appropriately to Veteran patients. Opioid misuse can lead to both addiction and overdose, and are a common lethal means to suicide. With addressing Veteran suicide our top clinical priority.
I encourage you to familiarize yourself with the information on the Opioid Safety SharePoint and share guidelines, best practices and VHA opioid safety initiative updates with your colleagues, staff and community providers whenever possible.
Earlier this year, I released a video urging providers to take the Preventing Suicide Through Lethal Means Safety and Safety Planning training offered through TMS (ID: 43446) and VHA Train. This training is important for both VA and community providers to identify and potentially prevent Veteran suicide.
Together, we can minimize potential harm and reach Veterans before a crisis occurs.
Sincerely,
Miguel H. LaPuz, MD, MBA
Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Integrated Veteran Care
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IVC focused on people, process and technology to bring Veterans the soonest and best care
Enhancing Veterans’ access to care starts with the right people, processes and technology.
Hiring top talent.
We are actively expanding our workforce to fulfill our promise of timely and high-quality care. This includes critical roles such as nurses and schedulers, ensuring we have the right professionals to support our Veterans. So far, VHA made a record-breaking 5,800 additional hires in the first six months of fiscal year 2023 compared to the previous year.
Standardizing processes for timely care.
IVC is working to simplify and standardize processes directly impacting timely care. A part of that is balancing clinical workload and productivity by standardizing provider availability for Veteran appointments and appointment lengths.
Another part of standardizing processes includes implementing checklists and conducting field-based audits to ensure consistency and efficiency in delivering care.
Improving referral processes.
IVC is dedicated to improving the referral processes for Veterans referred to another provider – regardless if it’s at VA or in the community. Later this year, IVC will launch a pilot program to refer patients to video appointments, which will add a convenient option to Veterans. Additionally, we are leveraging the existing Customer Relationship Management tools through VA Health Connect so Veterans can get 24/7 access to essential services, including virtual health care, at our clinical contact centers.
Modernizing scheduling systems and preparing for the future.
To better serve Veterans, IVC is working on an effort to make it easy for Veterans to schedule their own community care appointments. With that, we need to make sure we have enough community providers. IVC is working closely with third-party administrators to secure adequate provider coverage in the next generation of community care network contracts.
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VA Health Connect is revolutionizing Veteran care as a virtual front door to VA health care services. VA Health Connect clinical contact centers now offer 24/7 virtual health care and support for Veterans to provide seamless support and improved access. Here are the highlights:
Meeting the demand for telehealth services
- VA Health Connect has expanded its offerings to meet the increasing demand for telehealth services. In the last fiscal year alone, over 1.4 million Veteran cases were handled by approximately 1,300 health care providers, resulting in a staggering 45 million calls. In Q1 FY2023, VA Health Connect clinical contact centers received over 10 million calls.
Enhancing alignment among clinical contact centers
- VA Health Connect is streamlining operations by aligning clinical contact centers into a national model. With this, VA Health Connect aims to standardize operations to ensure a consistent, positive experience for Veterans across all locations.
Expanding core services nationwide
VA Health Connect is expanding its reach nationwide by rolling out four core services:
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Scheduling and administrative services: Connects Veterans with medical support assistants (MSAs) for appointment scheduling, rescheduling, cancellations and information about VA services.
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Clinical triage: Veterans can speak with registered nurses (RNs) regarding about symptoms and concerns and receive recommendations for their health care needs.
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Virtual clinic visits (VCVs): Enables Veterans to communicate with medical providers through phone, video or chat to discuss their health care needs.
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Pharmacy services: Connects Veterans with pharmacy technicians for prescription refills, renewals and medication-related inquiries.
Evolving to meet Veterans' needs
VA Health Connect remains adaptive, continually evolving to address Veterans' needs. This includes expanding access to mental health services, a critical area of focus. Collaborations between IVC, the Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention (OMHSP), and VISN partners were recognized with a 2022 National HeRO Award for their contribution to advancing VHA's high reliability organization (HRO) principles and enabling same-day mental health care.
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Time's running out! PACT Act special enrollment period ends Sept. 30
The Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act of 2022 offers expanded VA benefits to eligible post-9/11 Veterans. We urge you to inform Veterans to take advantage of the one-year special enrollment period for VA health care, which began October 1, 2022, and ends on September 30, 2023. Let Veterans know that regardless if they are currently enrolled in VA health care or had contact with the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) or other touchpoints, time is running out to take advantage of this opportunity.
To be eligible for enrollment under the PACT Act, Veterans must meet the following criteria:
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Have served on active duty in a theater of combat operations during a period of war after the Persian Gulf War, or
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Have served in combat against a hostile force during hostilities after November 11, 1998.
Additionally, Veterans must:
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Have been discharged or released between September 11, 2001, and October 1, 2013.
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Not have previously enrolled in VA health care.
Even if Veterans do not require immediate health care, enrolling under the PACT Act ensures they can access VA benefits when needed. Refer Veterans to the PACT Act website for details on how to apply for VA health care, how to file a disability claim and for a comprehensive list of new presumptive conditions.
Thank you for your assistance in spreading the word about this important opportunity for our post-9/11 Veterans.
Resources:
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Recognizing LGBTQ + Veterans during Pride Month this June
At VA, we're committed to providing quality care and services to all Veterans, including those with LGBTQ+ identities. We also continue to expand the services we offer to address the specific concerns and needs of LGBTQ+ Veterans--and to deliver these services free of shame, fear or stigma.
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 Course: COMPACT Act, Section 201: The Essentials (VA 4634808) provides an overview to VA providers and staff to accurately and effectively manage processes for Veterans receiving acute suicide care at VA medical centers or community facilities. Learners will be introduced to the legislation, its impact on Veterans and changes to VA staff processes.
Course: Data Stewardship Basics (VA 4638764) explains the role and responsibilities of business data stewards, including the operating environment, the characteristics and value data stewards bring to the organization, and the ethics of managing data.
Course: Data Stewardship – Processes and Technology (VA 4638788) reviews VA data stewardship models, tools, techniques, data management, data life cycle, database
Support
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