JANUARY 2024 |  Subscribe

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I N  T H I S  I S S U E

Exposure Ed 2.0 now available to empower providers  

VetChange helps alcohol use

Pay CHAMPVA claims with EFT

F E A T U R I N G

• Miriam Woolever, a 101-year-old WWII Veteran was about to turn 20 when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor.
• Gregory Saunders, an Army Veteran, had a difficult transition from military to civilian life.

• Benefits of Therapy Animals
• Suicide Prevention for Older Veterans
• Interventions for Smoking Cessation
• Suicide Prevention through Lethal Means Safety
• Opioid Safety Initiative
• Optum and TriWest trainings

• New Horizons in Health – The second episode available in the VA Immersive experience podcast series

V A  "G O O D  N E W S"  S T O R I E S

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Exposure Ed 2.0 helps you quickly look-up military exposure

Exposure Ed 2.0 is free app that provides information on military-related exposures to Veterans. It also helps locate nearby VA facilities where Veterans can access benefits and services. With the app, you can find military exposures by a specific exposure name, conflict, or date and location of military service. You can also learn about exposure-related VA programs and policies, access tips for asking questions and communicating risks to Veterans, get help creating a care plan, and build customizable notes. Resources are also available to share with your Veteran patients through email or printing. Several enhancements were made for version 2.0 of the app: Nearby VA facilities are easier to find: The app now incorporates location services so users can easily find VA facilities close to their current location. VA Contact Info: Conveniently locate points of contact at VA facilities to share with patients. VA HOME Announcements: VA’s Health Outcomes Military Exposures (HOME) administers various programs related to environmental and occupational exposures of Veterans during their military service. Announcements focus on military exposure issues, including recently published HOME newsletters. PACT Act: Access information on benefits provided by the PACT Act and the purpose of toxic exposure screening. Exposure Ed 2.0 is available on Android and iOS devices. To learn more about the app and download it on your mobile device, please visit Exposure Ed | VA Mobile

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VetChange helps manage alcohol use by Veterans

Did you know there’s an app to help Veterans set safe drinking goals and cope with stress related to past trauma? The VetChange app includes numerous tips and customized tools to help Veterans set goals to cut back on alcohol use and/or stop drinking altogether and learn new skills to manage posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms without using alcohol. VetChange also provides information about PTSD and alcohol use including: How alcohol use relates to PTSD symptoms How much alcohol is too much Tips for controlled drinking or total abstinence “My Stress Tracking” to assess PTSD symptoms and get feedback VetChange also includes educational materials you can share with colleagues and patient family members so they can learn how to help Veterans accomplish their goals. Learn more about VetChange by watching this short video or by listening to this brief PTSD Bytes podcast episode. VetChange is confidential and gives the user control over personal information in the app. The VetChange app is available for download here on Apple or Android devices.

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Pay CHAMPVA claims with EFT

If you provide care to beneficiaries through the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA), you will need to start filing claims electronically using electronic funds transfer (EFT), which is a federal requirement. If you’ve already setup an account with VA for EFT, thank you. No further action is required. If you haven’t moved to EFT for payment of CHAMPVA and other family member program claims yet, we’ve made it easy for you to enroll online: Visit the VA Financial Services Center (FSC) Customer Engagement Portal and complete the Payment Account Setup webform. For assistance with the webform, call the VA FSC help desk at 877-353-9791. By transitioning to EFT, you help ensure CHAMPVA claim payments are secure, efficient, and compliant with federal mandates while safeguarding Veteran family members’ access to benefits.   Resources: Department of the Treasury Direct Deposit (EFT) VA FSC Customer Engagement Portal Community Care Provider Payments CHAMPVA - Information for Providers

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E D U C A T I O N   &   T R A I N I N G

Benefits of the Human-Animal Bond and Partnering with Therapy Animals

This course explores the benefits of the human-animal bond. An overview of empirically validated physical and mental health benefits will be presented followed by information about various kinds of working animals (service, emotional support, and therapy animals). The audience includes physicians, physician assistants, nurses, psychologists, social workers, mental health counselors, dentists, physical and occupational therapists, audiologists and speech-language pathologists, and vision impairment specialists. 

Date: Jan. 9 at 2 p.m. ET
Location: VHA TRAIN
ID#: 1115587
Credit/hours: One (1)
Accreditations: AAPA, ACCME, ACCME-NP, ACVREP, ADA, ANCC, AOTA, APA, APTA, ASHA, ASWB, NBCC, NYSED-P, NYSED-SW

Environmental Scan of Suicide Prevention Resources for Older Veterans in Primary Care

This presentation will provide more detailed information for providers about suicide risk management for older Veterans seen in a primary care setting. The audience includes physicians, nurses, psychologists, counselors, social workers, pharmacists and occupational therapists.

Date: Jan. 10 at 2 p.m. ET
Location: VHA TRAIN
ID#: 1115383
Credit/hours: One (1)
Accreditations: ACCME, ACCME-NP, ACPE, ANCC, AOTA, APA, ASWB, JA IPCE, NBCC, NYSED-P, NYSED-SW

Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Smoking Cessation

This course discusses current research on mindfulness for smoking cessation, with some specific studies highlighted that attempt to address existing gaps. The audience includes psychiatrists, registered nurses, pharmacists, psychologists, social workers, counselors, dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, smoking cessation lead clinicians, and health coordinators.

Location: VHA TRAIN
ID#: 1115596
Credit/hours: One (1)
Accreditations: ACCME, ACCME-NP, ACPE, ADA, ANCC, APA, ASWB, JA IPCE, NBCC, NYSED-P, NYSED-SW

Preventing Suicide Through Lethal Means Safety and Safety Planning

This course provides updated lethal means training and resources for VHA facility Suicide Prevention Coordinators and other MH/SP clinicians.

Location: VHA TRAIN
ID#: 1075258
Accreditations: APA, ACCME, ACCME-NP, ANCC, APA, NBCC, ASWB, NYSED SW

Opioid Safety Initiative 

This course promotes evidence-based management of Veterans with chronic pain to improve patient outcomes and decrease incidence of complications associated with opioid prescribing.

Location: VHA TRAIN
ID#: 1086479
Credit/hours: one (1)

Training available through Optum and TriWest 

Numerous live and on-demand webinars and trainings are offered by Optum and TriWest to fit your schedule. Check them out!  

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P O D C A S T

New Horizons in Health – VA Immersive

The second episode in this podcast series, entitled The VA Immersive experience: Defining a new reality for Veteran health care, features Veterans who have experienced and benefited from augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technology. They join Dr. Shereef Elnahal, VA Under Secretary for Health, to describe how it works and the impact on their health and well-being.

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V E T E R A N S   S P O T L I G H T

Miriam Woolever

Miriam Woolever, a 101-year-old WWII Veteran was about to turn 20 when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Her friends signed up for the draft and in May 1942 when Congress approved creation of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC), she signed up, too. Woolever received training to serve as a clerk typist. Then, Congress approved formation of the Women’s Army Corps, making Miriam and all members of the WAAC the first enlisted women to officially serve in the Army. Check out more of Miriam’s story here.

Gregory Saunders

Gregory Saunders, an Army Veteran, had a difficult transition from military to civilian life. Leaving his camouflage uniform, combat boots, and the security of a military base to the new reality of calling a car his home led him to a dark place. He experienced nightmares, physical pain and began to depend on alcohol to heal. A friend of Saunders suggested he visit the West Palm Beach VA. He did and his life turned around. He was hired there as a housekeeper, excelled in his job and now leads his own team as a Housekeeping Aid Supervisor. Learn more about Gregory’s journey here. We honor their service.

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V A  "G O O D  N E W S"  S T O R I E S

VA adds new Vet Centers and satellite locations

Three new Vet Centers and six Vet Center Outstations (smaller satellite locations) are being added to improve access to counseling for Veterans and service members.

Vet Centers are community-based counseling centers that provide a wide range of social and psychological services, including no-cost professional counseling to eligible Veterans, service members, and their families. In FY2023, more than 115,000 Veterans, service members, and their families received counseling at VA’s 300+ Vet Centers nationwide.

The new Vet Centers and Outstations will be located in Arizona, California, Minnesota, New Jersey, Tennessee, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands. Learn more in the official news release.

Whole health helps Veteran lose pain, find art

Michael Jones is an Army Veteran who was unemployed, in tremendous physical pain, and homeless until just a few years ago. He turned all those things around after a visit to the Indianapolis VA Medical Center. Learn more about Michael’s story and how the whole health journey he began positively impacted his life and outlook for the future.

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R E S O U R C E S

• Provider Website  
• Community Care Network 
• Urgent Care - Information for providers 
• Emergency Care - Information for providers 

Contact the National Call Center at 877-881-7618 for provider process questions.

Questions on this newsletter? Email us at  VHA_IVC_Strategic_Communications@va.gov.