Quality of Care

What's New at Your VA?

VA is constantly working to provide more excellent service and care for Veterans. This includes new programs and initiatives, advanced training, and renovations and improvements to enhance health care facilities. Each VA project is an opportunity to improve the delivery of services to America's heroes. Featured below are some of the exciting improvements in quality of care taking place around the country:  Click on the region below to find out what's new in that area.

Northeast | Southeast | Midwest | Northwest | Southwest

Northeast

Michael Byrd, an Army Veteran and successful businessman and Beverly Miller, an employee at Lebanon VA Medical Center at the facility Aug. 28. Miller saved Byrd’s life by performing CPR on him when he collapsed during a run in early August.

Karma: Former Army medic saved by VA employee

That man is going to die! He needs help! These thoughts rushed into Beverly Miller’s mind, an employee at Lebanon VA Medical Center, while driving to work Aug. 8. She slammed on her brakes, threw the car into park, opened the door and ran towards him.

The man, dressed in jogging attire, was lying face down on the road turning blue. A bystander desperately waived cars down while on her cell phone with 911. Miller’s years of training as a VA nurse kicked in. She flipped the man over, noted his bloody face indicating he had fallen, checked vitals, finding no pulse and began performing CPR.  Read more...

Southeast

Michael Peterson (right) works with his singer/songwriter to create his song.

Just Start Talking

Michael Peterson, an Army Veteran who gets his health care at Central Virginia VA Health Care System, took part in a three-day retreat in Nashville, Tennessee, along with nine other Veterans from the VA’s Mid-Atlantic Heath Care Network. He found it to be a phenomenal experience.

Peterson says participating in Operation Song through songwriting and music has helped him tremendously in the ability to express his daily struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain, anxiety and depression.

“I still struggle most days with heartache,” Peterson said. “But, I’m more so now, able to manage a little better knowing I’m loved by others who care about me. It’s okay to express how I’m feeling and not keep life’s burdens inside.”  Read more...

Midwest

(Pictured above, left to right: Medical Center Director, Mr. Mark Murdock, MHA, FACHE, presents Ms. Johnson with a “Twice as nice!” blood donation sticker thanking her for donating and supporting the needs of Veterans served at the Cincinnati VA Medical Center. Photo taken by Chris Malott, Videographer and Medical Photographer at the Cincinnati VAMC)

One blood donation to serve two Veterans

On September 5th, the Cincinnati VA Medical Center (VAMC) partnered with the Hoxworth Blood Center from the University of Cincinnati (UC) to host a facility blood drive. Blood drives hosted at the Cincinnati VAMC are held quarterly and donations are honorably used for Veterans receiving care at the Cincinnati VAMC.

Associate Director for Patient Care Services-Chief Executive Nurse, Ms. Jane Johnson, MSN, RN, VHA-CM, participated as a donor to provide a ”double red” donation.

"Double Red"

If you meet certain criteria, a double red donation allows you to safely donate two units of red cells during one appointment through an automated donation process. The procedure uses a smaller needle and collects enough red blood cells to be transfused to two different patients. You maximize your impact and only donate once.  Read more...

Northwest

Shanna Nijem, VASNHS Physical Therapist, fits Vietnam Veteran Mark Christianson with the Indego powered exoskeleton system.

Veterans Walk Again With Help of VA and Indego

Mark Christianson served more than 20 years as a U.S. Army Green Beret, retiring in 1991. After surgery to remove a tumor from his spinal cord left him partially paralyzed, Christianson has dedicated himself to recovery. His biggest goal is to walk again. For several years, he has worked extensively with VA spinal doctors and physical therapists to test the newest technological devices. These efforts have taken Christianson to VA hospitals across the southwestern United States. While working with physical therapists at the VA Palo Alto (Calif.) Health Care System in March, Christianson finally discovered the device that he believes meets his needs better than any previous device: the Indego powered exoskeleton system.   Read more...

Southwest

VHA Goes Smoke-Free

VHA Goes Smoke-Free

VHA is working to make sure all its facilities become smoke-free to protect the safety and health of our community. There is overwhelming evidence that smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke creates significant medical risks, and a growing body of evidence that exposure to thirdhand smoke creates additional risks to safety and direct patient care.  Read more...

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