Access to care—Caring for Armed Forces veterans
If you’ll forgive me for going a little off topic here (yet again), there’s another resource in the world that I think is worth bringing to your attention. And while I will admit that this one is a little personal (I have two nephews who served in the Marine Corps; both of whom experienced health impacts as the result of that service) with the ongoing conversations about health equity, inclusiveness, and basic access to healthcare, I think this is more than worthy of being part of the ongoing conversations.
The good folks at ECRI have assembled a toolkit to provide a resource to healthcare organizations that are providing care to veterans outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) systems. To quote the ECRI SALUTETM Program homepage, “Veterans face complex health issues that can include both physical and emotional injuries resulting from their military service. Many veterans do not receive healthcare from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), turning instead to civilian providers who are less reliably equipped to address military-related health concerns. Without training, resources, and assessments geared toward veteran patients, even the most well-intentioned healthcare providers can miss critical diagnoses and treatments our veterans need.”
At the bottom of the SALUTETM homepage, there is a means of signing up to receive the toolkit in exchange for some basic information (that you’ve probably already shared any number of times) as well as links to veteran resources and a webinar that provides information on the SALUTETM program.
As we celebrate Independence Day 2024, I can’t think of a better way to honor the sacrifices of our armed service veterans than to ensure that access to quality healthcare is always part of the conversation.
Beyond that, I want to wish each and every one of you a safe and fulfilling Independence Day. The year’s half over; let’s keep it rocking!
About the Author: Steve MacArthur is a safety consultant with The Chartis Group. He brings more than 30 years of healthcare management and consulting experience to his work with hospitals, physician offices, and ambulatory care facilities across the country. He is the author of HCPro's Hospital Safety Director's Handbook and is an advisory board member for Accreditation and Quality Compliance Center. Contact Steve at stevemacsafetyspace@gmail.com.