National Center for Healthcare Advancement and Partnerships
HAP Partnership Impact
VHA partnerships support what matters to Veterans through the patient-centered care approach
Many partnerships between the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and nongovernmental organizations help Veterans who are diagnosed with conditions like cancer, Parkinson’s Disease, or lung diseases. VHA’s National Center for Healthcare Advancement and Partnerships (HAP) supports partnerships with partners such as the American Lung Association, GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer, and the Parkinson’s Foundation—these partnerships bring Veterans greater access to supportive services for the treatment of such conditions, irrespective of VHA enrollment or eligibility.
Beyond direct treatment, VHA is working to improve the quality of Veterans’ care by focusing on the concept of “patient-centered care.” VHA describes this mode of care as shifting the focus from “What’s the matter with you?” to “What matters to you?” Patient-centered care, along with the Whole Health model—in which Veterans’ health teams get to know them as individiuals, before working with them to develop a personalized health plan based on their values, needs, and goals—help support Veterans’ overall health, wellness, and lifestyle goals and interests.
These approaches consider the social determinants of health (SDOH), which are the conditions in the environments where Veterans live, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide array of health outcomes. When Veterans have greater access to positive SDOH, they lead healthier lives; when they experience negative SDOH, such as food insecurity or unemployment, they face more health risks.
A patient-centered and Whole Health approach focuses on these aspects of health and wellness:
- Working Your Body: Energy and flexibility
- Surroundings: Physical and emotional
- Personal Development: Personal life and work life
- Food and Drink: Nourishing and fueling
- Recharge: Rest and sleep
- Family, Friends, and Coworkers: Listening and being heard
- Spirit and Soul: Growing and Connecting
- Power of the Mind: Relaxing and Healing
Many of these aspects overlap directly with the SDOH that VHA’s partnerships offer Veterans. For example, the Y-USA partnership offers Veterans access to physical activity (“Working your Body”) via its free, streaming YMCA360 platform. The partnership with Salesforce Military brings Veterans access to employment opportunities and professional certification/education services (“Personal Development”). MAZON and FRAC partnerships support Veterans’ food security (nutritious “Food and Drink”). Many Veteran Community Partnership efforts support the SDOH, including spiritual support for Veterans in hospice (“Spirit and Soul”). A great many VHA partnerships help Veterans relax, manage stress, and heal (“Power of the Mind”).
The SDOH supported by partnerships and the patient-centered and Whole Health approach are aligned with VHA’s mission to provide Veterans exceptional health care.
Mr. Randolph Moler, program analyst and licensed clinical social worker for HAP, considers the SDOH in every aspect of his work.
“People’s overall wellness isn’t only about being free from disease,” Mr. Moler said. “We also have to consider that overall health and well-being are tied to the things many of us take for granted: the ability to rest and relax, to engage in hobbies we enjoy, to have the opportunity to practice our faith or spend time with friends—even to just have a good meal on the table.”
“These elements of wellness are incredibly important,” he continued. “The patient-centered care and Whole Health models ensure that we ask Veterans what matters to them in their every day lives and in their picture of personal health. We at HAP are proud to support partnerships that bolster this approach to health care.”
For more information on HAP’s partnerships, please visit 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 September 21, 2021
