All In one breath

Veterans scheduled for compensation and pension (C&P) exams at VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System's H.J. Heinz III campus can literally breathe a sigh of relief with the addition of same-day pulmonary function tests (PFTs).

Anticipated to begin in November, same-day PFTs will ease time and travel commitments and reduce delays for Veterans seeking disability benefits. C&P currently schedules medical exam and PFT appointments separately.

"That's potentially two trips to the VA, two times struggling to find parking, two times figuring out how to get to the clinic to be seen and two times stressing about whether the evaluation is going to go smoothly," said senior C&P examiner, Georgia Brinit-Stiffler.

"We can do better for these Veterans," said Brinit-Stiffler, a nurse practitioner who proposed the same-day tests in December. "And with the support of VA's Innovators Network, we will."

The Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) Spark-Seed-Spread Innovation Investment Program helped Brinit-Stiffler develop her "All In One Breath" idea and acquire equipment for the tests. Powered by VA's Innovators Network, Spark-Seed-Spread cultivates employee ideas for efficiency or improvement into action locally and potentially to VA sites nationwide.

But as project manager, Brinit-Stiffler believes getting the project's stakeholders to agree was just as important as developing the idea. She credits teamwork as the force behind the program's success.

"The big thing about this is that we actually coordinated various service lines to support one another to work on the project, and we're all in unison with each other," Brinit-Stiffler said.

The spirometry equipment used for PFTs was delivered in August and is awaiting final information technology coordination. Respiratory therapists who will administer the tests are training on the new equipment and will begin practicing tests in simulation trials in late October.

If all goes well, Brinit-Stiffler said, same-day testing will begin in early November.

"It's going to open access for (University Drive's) pulmonary testing for treating Veterans…We take up slots, so those slots will move over here (Heinz)," Brinit-Stiffler said.

Veterans who require more complex workups will still test at University Drive, as will those Veterans who prefer University Drive to Heinz.

To measure the project's impact, the C&P team is conducting a satisfaction survey of Veterans who made two visits versus Veterans who have same-day PFTs.

Brinit-Stiffler said same-day PFTs are not only more convenient for many Veterans, but the new process also streamlines work for service lines that administer, interpret and record the tests.

"The anticipated thing is to roll this out into the national spotlight," Brinit-Stiffler said.

Writer's note: Some quotes used in this article were taken from the video "C&P Same-Day Spirometry Testing, 'All In One Breath' Project Update_6-24-18."

*After concept approval, Spark-Seed-Spread provides grants of up to $50,000 to develop employee initiatives. VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System's "All In One Breath" concept used $27,000 in grant money for equipment, training and certification for current respiratory therapists who will conduct the tests.