Veteran trust in Oklahoma City VA Health Care System continues to rise

Trust among Oklahoma City VA Health Care System veteran patients has risen to 91%, a 9.3% increase from 2018, when VA began surveying veterans.

Trust ratings are based on a survey of Oklahoma City VA veteran patients who received care in the past 90 days. Within one week of using services, these veterans were asked if they trusted VA for their health care needs across a variety of categories — including scheduling an appointment, health care visits, in-person pharmacy, mail-order pharmacy, labs/imaging and veteran safety.

One reason Oklahoma City VA's increased trust scores is due to expansion of specialty health care services at its community based outpatient clinics. Adding services such as physical therapy, pain management and optometry has helped several veterans meet their health care needs in rural communities and remain closer to home. Expanding health care services so veterans can stay closer to home is a goal of Oklahoma City VA and they have future plans to offer more specialty services.

Another reason for increased trust scores is due to the VA MISSION Act—legislation passed by Congress in 2018, streamlining VA's community care programs and expanded VA's caregiver program, making it easier for eligible veterans to find community health care providers. 

Lastly, Oklahoma City VA began an aggressive outreach program with facility, in-person, mobile medical units and virtual engagements to help reach veterans in different or unique communities, help educate veterans on their health care benefits and partnering with collaborative agencies to deliver resources to veterans in rural or isolated communities. 

"Our commitment to providing veterans with exceptional care knows no bounds,” said Oklahoma City VA Director Kristopher Wade Vlosich. “We’re delivering world-class health care that honors the sacrifices our veterans have made for our country, and it shows in their responses. We will always strive for excellence in health care and never settle for less.”

The upward trend in veteran trust parallels VA's continuous efforts to expand and enhance the quality of care and benefits available to veterans. As confidence in VA grows, more veterans choose VA for their health care needs. 

The Sergeant First Class (SFC) Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act, which allows VA to expand health care and benefits to millions of veterans, has made recent enrollment increases possible. As of March 5, all veterans exposed to toxins and other hazards while serving in the military and meeting specific requirements became eligible to enroll directly in VA health care—years earlier than the law called for. 

Additionally, according to Medicare’s latest nationwide survey of patients, VA hospitals outperformed non-VA hospitals on all ten core patient satisfaction metrics — including overall hospital rating, communication with doctors, communication about medication, willingness to recommend the hospital, and more. 

Oklahoma City VA received 4-star patient survey rating and 3-star overall rating in the annual Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) hospital ratings, Medicare’s latest survey of patients.

Oklahoma City VA encourages all veterans, family members, caregivers, and survivors to learn more about VA and apply for their world-class health care and earned benefits today. For more information about VA care, visit VA’s health care website. 

Carmen Daugherty, Public affairs officer

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