Tennessee Valley Healthcare System one of 10 hospitals in nation selected for new Veteran initiative
PRESS RELEASE
December 30, 2021
Nashville , TN — Tennessee Valley Healthcare System (TVHS) was recently selected as a pilot site to expand services for Veterans who have experienced or are experiencing domestic violence or sexual assault.
This two-year initiative allows TVHS and nine other VA hospitals to better understand and address intimate partner violence and sexual assault among the Veteran population.
“Approximately one in three women and one in four men in the general population report experiencing intimate partner violence,” Jill Debord, VA management and social work executive director said. “Research by VA’s National Center for post-traumatic stress disorder shows Veterans may be disproportionally impacted by intimate partner violence.”
Starting in 2022, middle Tennessee Veterans will see an increase in health care services such as more group counseling for sexual assault survivors, enhanced screening for domestic violence at appointments, and safety planning for Veterans at risk of domestic violence.
“TVHS was selected because of our robust Intimate Partner Violence Assistance Program and the diverse Veteran populations we serve,” Lisa Hallum, TVHS Intimate Partner Violence Assistance Program supervising coordinator said. “We have a great opportunity to improve VA’s response on these matters, especially for underserved Veteran populations like Native Americans, Alaskan Natives, and African Americans.”
The initiative stems from the Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020.
TVHS is an integrated tertiary health care system comprised of two hospitals, the Alvin C. York campus in Murfreesboro and the Nashville campus, as well as 19 clinics located in Tennessee and Kentucky. TVHS provides ambulatory care, primary care, and secondary care in acute medicine and surgery, specialized tertiary care, transplant services, spinal cord injury outpatient care, and a full range of extended care and mental health services.
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