National Center for Healthcare Advancement and Partnerships
HAP Partnership Impact
This Nurses Month, one VHA nurse executive recognizes fellow nurses’ heroic acts
The American Nurses Association has designated May as Nurses Month, the theme of which this year is “Nurses Make a Difference.” This month honors nurses and supports the nursing profession. Nurses serve critical roles throughout the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), whether they work in a clinical setting with patients or in administrative, research, or education roles. The VHA National Center for Healthcare Advancement and Partnerships (HAP, formerly the Office of Community Engagement) supports partnerships and emerging health innovations for Veterans and is led by Nurse Executive Dr. Tracy L. Weistreich. Dr. Weistreich shared stories collected by the VHA Office of Nursing Service (ONS) from nurses throughout VA and VHA who have demonstrated advocacy, leadership, agility, and a commitment to Veterans’ well-being over the past year.
- According to ONS, in Los Angeles County, more than 60,000 people are experiencing homelessness and are more vulnerable to COVID-19. The Greater Los Angeles VA Health Care System VA Supportive Housing (VASH) nurse practitioners team have been working to identify Veterans in need and help them with medical, housing, COVID-19 testing, and other needs. This team has also moved more than 1,000 Veterans experiencing homelessness into open hotel and motel rooms; due to the team’s testing and isolations procedures at these sites, there have been no COVID-19 outbreaks there. The nurse practitioners of the VASH team are Josh Robers, Janel Perez, Michele Seckington, Laura Nica, and Kristina Cardenas.
- In the VHA Advanced Practice Nurse (APRN) October 2020 newsletter, National APRN Council Chair Maria Colandrea wrote to thank her colleagues for providing exceptional care to Veterans: “APRNs have cross-trained to fill critical needs in emergency departments, intensive care units, and general medicine floors. Routine clinic visits have now become virtual, and day-to-day operations have changed drastically. APRNs at many facilities are leading efforts to meet the demand for staffing needs by working in drive-thru coronavirus screening tents, volunteering for deployments [to COVID-19 ‘hot spots’]. The charge has been ‘all hands on deck’ to meet the needs of our Veteran patients.”
- Also in the APRN newsletter, the story of emergency nurse practitioner Carolyn Storck in New Orleans: Ms. Storck, who has been a nurse practitioner for 20 years, had to have surgery for tendonitis and a deformity on her heel bone. In less than two weeks she returned to work to care for Veterans who had been diagnosed with COVID-19. Ms. Storck was featured in Peoplemagazine for “her selfless act of putting the needs of Veterans above her own.” She was able to resume work thanks to a hands-free crutch on her leg.
“These are only a few inspirational stories of those nurses who serve Veterans—there are nurses working all over the country who every day go above and beyond to use their skills, experience, compassion, and tenacity to help those who have served this country,” said Dr. Weistreich. “As a nurse who worked in direct patient care for the first 19 years of my career, I know how demanding and rewarding the job can be, especially during the course of the past extremely difficult year. I am grateful to my fellow nurses for their dedication and service. I feel blessed to be in a position where I can support VA nurses and provide them with additional resources to care for our Veterans.”
Ms. Danielle S. Ocker, acting executive director of ONS, also commended nurses for their acts of service.
“No time in recent history has challenged our country’s nurses more than the past year. Every nurse, from every walk of life, working in nearly every setting has been impacted by COVID. Yet, every day I hear amazing stories about how VA nurses have risen to the challenge to support the needs of our nation’s Veterans,” said Ms. Ocker. “Sometimes that support has been in facilities far away from their family. Other nurses provided help to communities with special health care needs. Many have worked long and arduous hours but have done so with pride and dedication for those who have needed them. The professional care they provided was only intensified by their caring and compassionate spirit, which exemplifies VA Nursing.”
For more information on HAP’s work, please visit va.gov/healthpartnerships.
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Posted May 11, 2021
