National Center for Healthcare Advancement and Partnerships
OCE Partnerships and COVID-19
Community partners help VHA bring more virtual resources to Veterans
A partnership within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has been working to bring resources to Veterans virtually to help them keep socially connected and fit. The South Texas Veterans Health Care System (STVHCS) in San Antonio and the San Antonio-based group Operation Comfort have teamed up to host online fitness classes for Veterans. STVHCS staff, including recreation therapist Mary Dawn Phillips, have worked with Operation Comfort since 2013 to bring Veterans services and resources to which they would not have otherwise had access.
Operation Comfort helps Veterans recover from trauma through experiential programs such as cycling, aquatics, and woodworking. This partnership has enabled STVHCS to bring tools to Veterans such as woodworking or cycling equipment. Those resources can play a large part in recreation therapy. Ms. Phillips explained that recreation therapy rolls multiple modalities such as occupation therapy, physical therapy, and speech therapy into one, bringing Veterans therapeutic benefit through activities they enjoy, such as sports, card games, or crafts.
One of the activities that can fall under the recreation therapy umbrella is a group fitness class. Once the coronavirus pandemic hit and many Veterans were unable to attend in-person programs through Operation Comfort, Ms. Phillips and her colleagues pivoted to using VA Video Connect (VVC), VHA’s secure telehealth platform, to host fitness classes for Veterans virtually. Her team at her VHA facility has helped coordinate rented out cycling bikes and stationary trainers to Veterans through Operation Comfort so they can follow live-streamed classes remotely.
Ms. Phillips and her colleagues have personally taught these live-streamed classes each week. The classes give Veterans a chance to interact with one another while staying at home. This is one example of how many VHA staff members are utilizing technology and other resources to help Veterans stay active and connected to others during COVID-19. Physical activity and a sense of connection are crucial for Veterans’ overall health.
Ms. Phillips said one Veteran was having a very hard time with anxiety during COVID-19, and she was virtually chatting with the Veteran almost daily. The Veteran joined one of the fitness groups. “It was like night and day, you can see the difference in her attitude,” Ms. Phillips said. “She started reaching out to some other Veterans and encouraging them to get into the group.”
Some Veterans, according to Ms. Phillips, say spreading the word about the classes to other Veterans has increased their sense of social connectedness, an important social determinant of health (SDOH). The SDOH are conditions in the environments where Veterans live, learn, work, play, and age, such as access to housing and food security.
Mrs. Phillips said that VVC has been a great resource. When Veterans are able to return to in-person classes, she thinks VVC can be used by Veterans who are not quite confident enough to attend an in-person class. It can help them take a less intimidating first step.
“Recreation therapy has taught me a lot about myself,” Ms. Phillips added. “I’m trying to teach my Veterans that you can still have a quality of life, you can still find enjoyment, and there’s always another approach to doing the things you’re used to.”
SDOH, as well as partnerships generally, are a focus of VHA’s Office of Community Engagement (OCE). Positive SDOH, such as access to a social network and recreation activities, support healthy lifestyles. Negative SDOH, such as legal problems or food insecurity, are strong predictors of suicide risk, according to an article in the Journal of General Medicine. Partnerships that support suicide prevention are critical throughout VHA.
“Partnerships such as this one bring together VHA’s resources and the partner’s, and in turn, Veterans get more,” explained OCE Nurse Executive Dr. Tracy L. Weistreich. “Other partnerships that focus on physical fitness and social connection, such as those with Y-USA, CaringBridge, and United Through Reading, augment the services VHA is able to provide. Veterans and their caregivers and loved ones can utilize the services of these partnerships even during COVID-19.”
To learn more about VA Recreation Therapy Service, please visit www.prosthetics.va.gov/rectherapy/.
To learn more about OCE, please visit www.va.gov/healthpartnerships.
External Link Disclaimer: This page contains links that will take you outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs website. VA does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of the linked websites.
Posted July 16, 2020
