Updates from the VA Office of Health Equity

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Announcements

February 08, 2018

Register for February’s Focus on Health Equity and Action Cyberseminar: Pursuing Health Equity for Veterans with a Dedicated National Program Office—Five Years in Review

FY17 Accomplishment Collage


Some progress is being made to advance health equity for Veterans. Unfortunately, but consistent with the general U.S. population, health disparities and inequities continue to be documented for Veterans regardless of where they receive their care. The VA Office of Health Equity (OHE) was established in the VHA in 2012 as a national program office and given the immediate charge to map VA’s pursuit of Veteran health equity. February’s Focus on Health Equity and Action Cyberseminar will review VA efforts over the last 5 years to advance health equity for Veterans since the establishment of OHE. Presenters will discuss VA’s progress in implementing VA’s strategic plan to advance health equity; OHE supported activities in advancing research, partnerships and tools; and future actions to ensure all Veterans have access and receive high quality, timely, and equitable care.


Pursuing Health Equity for Veterans with a Dedicated National Program Office—Five Years in Review

Thursday, February 22, 2018

3:00 – 4:00 PM EST


REGISTER


Learning Objectives

  1. Describe the development of a national program in the VA to advance Veteran health equity;

  2. Identify strategic goals and metrics of the VA Health Equity Action Plan related to leadership, research, and partnerships to advance health equity; and

  3. Discuss future research, quality improvement efforts, and other actions to reduce and/or eliminate Veteran health disparities.

Confirmed Presenters

  • Uchenna S. Uchendu, MD
    Chief Officer, Office of Health Equity, VA Central Office, Washington, DC

  • Kenneth T. Jones, PhD
    Program Analyst, Office of Health Equity, VA Central Office, Washington, DC

REGISTER


Opportunity to Advance Leadership for Veteran Health Equity with the RWJF Clinical Scholars Program

RWJF Clinical Scholars Program



There is still time to apply for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Clinical Scholars Program but you must apply by March 14, 2018, 3:00 PM EST.

The Clinical Scholars Program provides funding and leadership training to clinically active providers to help leverage their ideas to improve health outcomes in communities across the country (http://clinical-scholars.org). Providers working in collaboration with veterans, their families, and local organizations are encouraged to apply.

Let the VA Office of Health Equity know if you are VA staff or work with Veterans and plan to leverage this opportunity so that we can assist in order to advance health equity themed projects for Veterans as the community of focus. Examples of funded projects are available at http://clinicalscholarsnli.org/projects including one example of a Veteran-focused project.

Learn More


Recent Health Equity Research and Resources

The VA Office of Health Equity is pleased to share recent health equity research and resources from VA researchers and partnering organizations.


Evaluation of the Department of Veterans Affairs Mental Health Services

Evaluation of the Department of Veterans Affairs Mental Health Services

Approximately 4 million U.S. veterans supported the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan—Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and Operation New Dawn—and many have need for mental health care services. Under a Congressional mandate responding to concerns about the health care experience of these veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) asked the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to assemble a committee of experts to assess veterans’ ability to access mental health services at the VA, as well as the quality of those services. After reviewing the relevant published literature, conducting site visits, and surveying veterans, the committee recommends ways to improve problems with access to and quality of mental health services for veterans, including treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder, major depressive disorder, substance use disorder, and suicidal thoughts or behaviors. 

Source: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2018). Evaluation of the Department of Veterans Affairs Mental Health Services. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Related Resources

 

The Use of Telemental Health to Meet the Mental Health Needs of Women Using Department of Veterans Affairs Services

Female soldier

Background: Women veterans are a growing segment of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) users with distinct mental health needs and well-documented barriers to care. Telemental health holds much promise for reducing barriers to mental health care. We assessed VA stakeholders' perceptions of telemental health's appropriateness and potential to address the mental health needs of women veteran VA users. 

Methods: We conducted semistructured qualitative interviews with 40 key leadership and clinical stakeholders at VA medical centers and associated outpatient clinics. Transcripts were summarized in a template of key domains developed based on the interview guide, and coded for topics relevant to women's mental health needs and telehealth services. 

Results: Telemental health was perceived to increase access to mental health care, including same-gender care and access to providers with specialized training, especially for rural women and those with other limiting circumstances. Respondents saw women veterans as being particularly poised to benefit from telemental health, owing to responsibilities associated with childcare, spousal care, and elder caregiving. Interviewees expressed enthusiasm for telemental health's potential and were eager to expand services, including women-only mental health groups. Implementation challenges were also noted. 

Conclusions: Overall, our stakeholders saw telemental health as a good fit for helping to address the perceived needs of women veterans, especially in addressing the geographical barriers experienced by rural women and those with a limited ability to travel. These findings can help to inform gender-tailored expansion of telemental health within and outside of the VA. 

Source: Moreau, J. L., Cordasco, K. M., Young, A. S., Oishi, S. M., Rose, D. E., Canelo, I., et al. (2018). The Use of Telemental Health to Meet the Mental Health Needs of Women Using Department of Veterans Affairs Services. Women's Health Issues.


Risk and Resilience: A Review of the Health Literature of Veterans Who Identify as LGBT

LGBT Veteran Pride

Service members who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, and/or transgender (LGBT) were an almost invisible population since the dawn of the Continental Army in 1775. The decision to serve in the US Armed Forces despite a ban on their service was not an easy one. The literature shows that LGBT service members experienced harassment and violence and lived in constant fear of being “outed.” Theory suggests that the combination of this strain, along with the daily stress of the military as an occupation, placed LGBT service members at greater risk for adverse health conditions like posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A review of recent research suggests that this theory may be true—LGBT veterans report high rates of depression, PTSD, and suicidality. The following chapter explores this important research but also highlights the need to explore experiences of resilience in this population. Because of their dedicated service despite historic bans and institutionalized discrimination, LGBT veterans represent a unique opportunity to explore resilience and posttraumatic growth. 

Source: Ramirez, H., Bloeser, K. (2018). Risk and Resilience: A Review of the Health Literature of Veterans Who Identify as LGBT. In Gay Mental Healthcare Providers and Patients in the Military (pp. 9-24). Springer, Cham.
 

Related Resources