Our Voice to and Resource for the VA

Needs that HVA Addresses

Community

” … military veterans present unique experiences of loneliness and social isolation, … This requires specific attention outside of campaigns targeted at the non-military population.”

Loneliness and social isolation of military veterans: systematic narrative review G Wilson, M Hill, M D Kiernan https://academic.oup.com/occmed/article/68/9/600/5239881

Suicide

“The suicide rate among U.S. veterans may be much higher than estimated by state and national data, according to a study that sheds new light on what experts say is an urgent crisis. The study, conducted by the national nonprofit America’s Warrior Partnership (AWP) in cooperation with the Department of Defense and the University of Alabama, shows that states might be undercounting veterans’ deaths at an error rate of 25 percent.”

https://www.newsweek.com/hidden-suicide-epidemic-us-veterans-1824388

Healthcare

“At least 40 U.S. veterans died while waiting for health care at the Phoenix VA, … according to a CNN report. The “elaborate scheme,” implemented by top management, was an effort to hide that 1,400 to 1,600 sick veterans waited months to see a doctor, said CNN, citing a former Veterans Administration doctor and other agency staff. …”

https://www.stripes.com/cnn-at-least-40-vets-died-while-waiting-care-at-phoenix-va-1.279589

Veterans Administration

The Veterans Administration has made great advances in addressing these three vital needs over the past decade: However, the lack of an effective management feedback tool has limited their effectiveness.

HVASocial is that tool!

As a Third Party Survey Provider HVA has designed a HIPPA compliant, member based Social/Advocacy web platform to carry out our mission.

How it Works

Community

Members regain a portion of the camaraderie they lost at separation as they chat with their peers on the timeline and meet at a variety of online and in-person events hosted by HVA, the VA and Regional VSOs.

Suicide

“Social networking sites for suicide prevention can facilitate social community among peers with similar experiences.”

Luxton DD, June JD, Kinn JT. Technology-based suicide prevention: current applications and future directions.

Healthcare

HVA provides feedback to VA Clinics that cannot be obtained in another manner. When logging into their clinic, Members:

• Vote in their Clinic’s ‘How Was Your Day at the VA?’ poll
• Give an ‘Atta-boy’ to their Clinic, or Caregiver
• Discuss healthcare problems with others of the same clinic
• Respond to online surveys co-developed with the VA

https://www.stripes.com/cnn-at-least-40-vets-died-while-waiting-care-at-phoenix-va-1.279589

In summary, HVASocial offers its Stakeholders a new and exciting place for members to meet, interact and heal; and a vital management resource to assist the VA in solving Veteran suicide and healthcare problems.

HVA Shares Management with Affiliates*

Agreement

The Handicapped Veterans Association and interested Veteran Service Organizations enter a well-defined and limited association for the purpose of:

• Developing community among our stakeholders**
• Helping solve health care problems

Terms of Use

Parties agree to adhere to posted Terms of Use and to refrain from actions that would reflect badly on the other.

Cost to Affiliate

Cost to Affiliate is $2 per quarter for database maintenance.

Affiliate Responsibilities

• Promote community by posting meetings on HVA’s Meetup.com account.
• Appoint part time Moderators to screen timeline comments for indications of suicidal tendencies and Review of Care (ROC) requests.

Moderators

• Refer Members that appear to have suicidal tendencies to the VA Crisis center. Follow through to assure the contact is made.
• Review timeline requests for ROC and gain case info by private messaging member, then forwards supplemented request to MIRP.

Note

Affiliates and Moderators are not authorized by HVA to ‘talk someone off the ledge.
It is important for those of us who are not qualified to listen, calm, reassure and turn the individual over to someone that is qualified as quickly as possible.

HVA Responsibilities

• Underwrites the project, maintains the websites currently online and adds sites for other States as the project matures.
• Maintains shared Meetup.com account.
• Administers third party surveys.
• Provides patient advocacy.

HVA is a third party survey provider. “Organizations that are independent from the project they are evaluating. This allows them to conduct their evaluation without bias or influence.”
HVA administered surveys are HIPPA compliant and collect member information that can’t be obtained under other circumstances.

Advocacy Process

Members request a Review of Care under the Member Initiated Reporting Process by posting a comment titled ‘MIRP Request’ on the timeline and describing the concern in their VA Clinic’s forum.

Timeline Moderators review requests, search forum archives for collaborating evidence and interview the reporting party by messenger.

If the case has substance, Moderator will open a conversation with the VA Clinic’s Patient Rep. If the problem is resolved at that level we will have succeeded.

If the problem is not resolved at that level, Moderator will complete documentation, assign a case number and forward it to the MIRP Board (elected from among Moderators).

The Board will review the complaint, assign a case number and forward a copy to the Clinic Director with a request to discuss the matter.

If the problem is resolved at that level it will be closed. If not, the case will be forwarded to the HVA State Commissioner who will be responsible to appeal the matter up the chain of command to our Commander in Chief.

If the problem is resolved at that level it will be closed. If not, the case will be forwarded to the HVA State Commissioner who will be responsible to appeal the matter up the chain of command to our Commander in Chief.

*Affiliates meet in private forums to discuss project related matters, to appoint timeline moderators and to elect a member to a voting seat on the HVA Board of Directors.
**Stakeholders: US Veterans rated at 30% or more by the VA, Affiliated VSOs and Affiliated VA Clinics.