VA nurses ensure consistent care for traveling Veterans
A Veteran who is traveling or transferring to an area served by a different VA health care system can maintain medical care without interruption or treatment delay. It simply requires pre-planning.
Maintaining consistent care
Retired U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Daniel Klee, a registered nurse with more than 35 years of experience, has worked as a traveling Veteran coordinator for VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System (VA ECHCS) since 2016.
“My responsibility is to assist with care coordination for traveling Veterans requesting care through Eastern Colorado Health Care System and for Vets traveling or relocating to other VA health care systems,” he said. “I’m a Veteran helping Veterans. This is a great program that helps traveling Vets who might otherwise fall through the cracks and think no one can assist them with their medical needs when they are away from home.”
Pre-planning starts the process
When a Veteran is preparing to travel or relocate—either permanently or temporarily—that person informs their primary care team. Together, they discuss the services the Veteran may need while they are away, and the traveling nurse coordinator directs and organizes this care with VA ECHCS and the destination or origin facility.
Klee said coordination is consult-driven, starting when a traveling Veteran consult is received from another VA system for care coordination through VA ECHCS.
Even if Veterans are living abroad, VA care can be coordinated. For instance, a Veteran living in the Republic of Georgia (Eastern Europe) planned to travel to the U.S. for a month and contacted Klee for an appointment for a physical at Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center (VAMC).
The 12-hour time difference required Klee and the Veteran to communicate through email. Klee coordinated an appointment for the Veteran with Rocky Mountain Regional VAMC’s Rapid Access Clinic for evaluation and to provide information regarding pre-appointment labs and scheduling.
In another case, a Veteran’s wife called from VA Sheridan Health Care System in Wyoming. The couple traveled to Denver and the Veteran fell ill, ending up in a local hospital.
“He needed extensive care and home health care,” Klee said. “I coordinated four different consults that needed to be placed and worked with the services and social workers to see how best to help. We also got free lodging for the Veteran’s wife at Fisher House, our facility that provides accommodations for families of Veterans.”
Layers of support
Klee is not alone when coordinating care for Veterans who travel.
Daniel Petersen, an RN for more than 30 years, serves as part of a Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) at Rocky Mountain Regional VAMC.
Petersen was born with a misshapen leg and underwent 13 corrective surgeries, 11 before his tenth birthday. His doctors’ dedication allowed him to not only walk but play football. Petersen expressed his appreciation by becoming a nurse.
“I wanted to help people the way they helped me,” he said.
Petersen, who regularly treats patients with his PACT team, supports the traveling Veterans program as needed, ensuring that Veterans who require medical services when they leave their home facility can get the care they need.
Recognizing a noble profession
May 6-12 is National Nurses Week, in honor of Florence Nightingale, who is considered the founder of modern nursing. Observed since 1954, this week recognizes the contributions and positive impact nurses make to society.
VA is grateful for nurses like Daniel Klee and Daniel Petersen, who ensure that Veterans remain connected to their VA health care when they are away from their home facilities.
For more information on VA’s traveling Veterans program, call 720-857-5383.
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April Love is a writer-editor on the VISN 19 Creative Task Force. She began working for VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System in 2016 and lives in Aurora, Colorado.