HJNO Nov/Dec 2019

dialogue 16 NOV / DEC 2019 I  Healthcare Journal of NEW ORLEANS   has moved in that direction, working each day to understand the voice of the veteran patient now more than ever, and we adjust as needed, based on feedback. We often hear that today’s VA is not your grandfather’s VA; it’s an integrated, modern health care system that prioritizes transpar- ency and information sharing. VAhas always understood that patient data is the veteran’s data, and we are simply good stewards of that data. That’s why today, with emerging legislation that opens access for more vet- erans, we want them to have the informa- tion they need to make the right choices for themselves about their health care. That includes being open about our quality and safety data, and involving the veterans as much as possible in shared decision mak- ing about their health care treatment. I’d say that that’s another niche that we have. The modern VA health care system is more receptive to the needs of veterans. We’ve updated systems to improve access, as well as the customer service experience. We’ve designed clinical spaces, such as our women’s health clinic, around the veterans we serve. We’ve updated policies, like our no-smoking policy at the medical center, to be more conducive to the total health of veterans. We know that veterans today have more choices than ever when it comes to select- ing a health care provider. For instance, the VAMISSIONAct, which took effect in June 2019, has given veterans more choices to seek health care outside VA for a number of reasons, including access or drive times. Through the VAMISSIONAct, we’re able to purchase services from other health care providers so that we can provide care in a way that is efficient from the patient’s per- spective. Having the ability to purchase non-VA care when it makes sense for the patient is a powerful tool. We’re able to pro- vide more care for more veterans in more places, working in close coordination with our community of partners. This is yet another unique aspect of our care compared to traditional health care settings. However, veterans prefer their VA care for its quality, reputation, and coordination. In short, they generally trust that they get safe, well-coor- dinated care when they come to VA. Editor  Howmuch local autonomy is South- east Louisiana Veterans Health Care Sys- tem afforded for Louisiana, or is this mostly a centrally run system? Rivera The Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System is part of Veterans Integrated Service Network 16, which is in turn part of the Veterans Health Adminis- tration within VA. We serve a wide swath of veterans in the Gulf South, and 23 par- ishes in southeast Louisiana. While we do receive policy and administrative support from our headquarters inWashington, D.C., one thing that rings true is, if you’ve seen one VA, you’ve seen one VA. Each one is dif- ferent because, like politics, health care is local. We are the newest state-of-the-art VA “…the VAMISSIONAct, which took effect in June 2019, has given veterans more choices to seek health care outside VA for a number of reasons, including access or drive times. Through the VAMISSIONAct, we’re able to purchase services from other health care providers so that we can provide care in a way that is efficient from the patient’s perspective.”