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Initially developed by a team of nurses at Salem VA Medical Center, HAPPEN reduces NV-HAP cases with education and comprehensive oral care in hospitals and long-term care settings. The HAPPEN model empowers nurses to provide consistent oral care at least twice daily for Veterans during their stay.
”HAPPEN demonstrates the power of VA’s engaged frontline nursing workforce to identify an opportunity, develop an evidence-based solution, and scale that innovation across the nation,” said Dr. Sheila Cox-Sullivan, Director of Research Evidence Based Practices and Analytics in VHA’s Office of Nursing Services.
VA facilities that implement HAPPEN report an average 40-60% decrease in NV-HAP cases, reducing the average length of hospital stays and need for long-term care for Veterans.
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December Exchange: Academic Affiliations at VA
Join us next week for the December edition of The Exchange. The month’s topic is Collaborative Futures: Academic Affiliation Powering VA Innovation. The Exchange will be December 19, 2024, at 3:00pm EST. Moderated by VA Augusta Health Care System Innovation Specialist Kelsey Shull, this installment will feature panelists from the Office of Academic Affiliations and experts from across VA who are leveraging academic collaborators to advance innovative solutions to improve Veteran health care.
This session will feature a dynamic panel discussion with leaders and innovators sharing insights on VA’s collaborations with academic institutions, exploring how academic affiliations elevate VA initiatives, research, and care delivery for Veterans.
Engage and learn—our panelists will discuss their experiences, challenges, and successes in fostering academic collaborations. Discover how these initiatives drive innovation, improve care, and shape the future of Veteran health care. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect, share ideas, and be inspired!
Dr. John M. Byrne, D.O., FACP
Note: The Exchange is open to VA employees only
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Congratulations to Christopher Ritter, Dra Copeland, Travis Brown, Mike Long, Alain Calimlim, Lakeesha Puryear, and Carmen Waite!
The Golden Heart Award recognizes a member of a clinical team or team who has gone above and beyond by performing a particular remarkable act of compassion for an elderly patient in the emergency room.
The VA Durham SCOUTS team conducted a home visit for an elderly diabetic Veteran who had complications with a necrotic toe with evidence of spread up the foot. The SCOUTS ICTs were able to see this Veteran well before their scheduled appointment and sent them to the Emergency Department (ED) where they received essential care. Thanks to the ICTs, the Veteran noted that “[he] wouldn’t have known what would have happened if they didn’t show up.”
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At the Orlando VA Healthcare System, women Veterans meet regularly for “Perinatal Veterans Socials” to share their experiences, challenges, and triumphs in navigating pregnancy and motherhood while transitioning from military life. These Socials foster a sense of belonging, offering attendees a space to connect, support each other, and access vital resources through VA perinatal services, which are specialized to focus on the health of women or birthing people and their babies before, during, and after birth.
Melissa Tran, a 2023 VHA Innovation Ecosystem Senior Innovation Fellow, a Marriage and Family Therapist and Reproductive Health Program Manager at VA Orlando founded a program called PREPARe (Perinatal Reproductive Education Planning and Resources) to better support Veterans on their reproductive health journeys. Tran organized these socials among her patients with an understanding of the importance of social connection and a desire to provide space for community among her patients.
Lureida Soto and Regina Adamson are two of Tran’s Veteran patients who joined the first Perinatal Veterans Social. Adamson, a U.S. Army Veteran who faced difficulties with postpartum mental health, described her experience of feeling lost before connecting with perinatal services, saying “Melissa is creating our village, making sure our village is not forgotten. She’s connected me with women who understand me on a deeper level—emotionally and mentally.”
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