Beyond the VA: How Care in the Community Helped One Veteran Employee Heal
“In all my years working at the VA, being here at the Wilmington VA was the first time I received care as a Veteran and I must say, it is some of the best care I have ever received,” said Sotace.
U.S. Air Force Veteran and Wilmington VA Administrative Officer, Karen Sotace, has worked at the VA since 2010. But it wasn’t until she needed care herself that she truly understood the value of the services the VA provides.
“In all my years working at the VA, being here at the Wilmington VA was the first time I received care as a Veteran and I must say, it is some of the best care I have ever received,” said Sotace.
After undergoing a total knee replacement, Sotace faced challenges in getting to both work and her doctor’s appointments at the Wilmington VA Medical Center.
After enrolling in VA health care, Sotace was assigned a Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT), made up of her, her caregivers, and her health care providers. Through this team, Sotace was also able to access the care and equipment she needed, including a walker, bedside toilet, walking cane, and other recovery aids.
Living in Milton, Delaware, meant long drives to the VA, so she reached out to her primary care provider for a solution. That’s when she was introduced to Care in the Community (CITC), a program that provides care through community providers based on specific eligibility criteria, availability of VA care, and individual needs.
“I wanted my surgery and aftercare to be more convenient while I focused on recovering,” said Sotace. “Care in the community and my PACT team helped me navigate that to make it easier on my family and it saved me so much trouble.”
“The VA made it possible to make community care available to me,” said Sotace. “I don’t have to worry and if there are issues, the PACT team jumps up and helps to give me direction and it gives me peace of mind to know I am being taken care of. The team goes above and beyond.”
To receive CITC, Veterans must meet eligibility requirements, and community care must be authorized by the VA. Monica Williams, lead AMSA for CITC, explains that many factors play into this process.
“We search for the earliest and correct provider. There are a lot of factors when scheduling appointments with community providers, and this makes every consult we do different,” said Monica Williams, lead Advanced Medical Support Assistant for CITC.
Most services are provided at VA medical centers but for circumstances that require eligible Veterans to qualify for care in the community all referrals must go through your VA primary care provider.