{"id":34069,"date":"2024-05-30T07:00:29","date_gmt":"2024-05-30T07:00:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/?p=34069"},"modified":"2024-12-04T00:28:42","modified_gmt":"2024-12-04T00:28:42","slug":"changing-the-mindset-on-veteran-health-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/changing-the-mindset-on-veteran-health-care\/","title":{"rendered":"Changing the mindset on veteran health care","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"

At MultiCare, we are committed to working toward health equity \u2014 ensuring all people have access to quality health care regardless of age, race, ethnicity, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, ability, socioeconomic status or location. <\/em><\/p>\n

But we also recognize the reality that longstanding biases and barriers embedded in the health care system, and our society, can prevent people from accessing the care they need. <\/em><\/p>\n

In this series \u2014 inspired in part by society\u2019s growing awareness that not everyone has the same chance to be healthy \u2014 we take a deeper look at the disparities that impact our patients and how we as health care providers and community members can reduce those disparities and improve the health and well-being of all.<\/em><\/p>\n

Veterans face challenges unlike any other population<\/strong><\/h2>\n

While checking in to a doctor\u2019s appointment, you expect to answer questions about your age, gender identity or marital status. But what about veteran status?<\/p>\n

You may not think of it as an important health identifier, but when it comes to health conditions or lifestyle factors that could play into your well-being, experts say it\u2019s critical.<\/p>\n

At MultiCare Yakima Memorial Hospital, Veteran Advocacy Program manager Matthew McCay explains how a recent query into patient records identified 70 veterans who met the criteria for diagnoses possibly related to Agent Orange exposure who weren\u2019t receiving applicable health benefits.<\/p>\n

Many of these veterans may have tried to receive coverage before their diagnoses were connected to Agent Orange, or their care team hadn\u2019t identified them as veterans, he says. Because the burden has historically fallen on the patient, it\u2019s likely more have been missed.<\/p>\n

McCay is now on a mission to find every veteran in his community and ensure they\u2019re receiving the care and benefits they deserve.<\/p>\n

Identifying veteran status goes beyond benefits, though \u2014 it plays an important role in understanding overall physical and mental well-being.<\/p>\n

Identifying veterans is the first step<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

\u201cPeople often have a stereotype of what a veteran looks like \u2014 the older man with his veteran hat or someone with a high, tight haircut,\u201d says Connie Chapman, suicide prevention program manager with the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA). \u201cBut I dare you to stereotype a female veteran.\u201d<\/p>\n

We must set aside these stereotypes and recognize the importance of knowing a patient\u2019s veteran status, she explains. Chapman\u2019s team at the WDVA promotes the Ask the Question challenge, which encourages providers to ask about military service and suicide risk. The American Academy of Nursing also promotes the Have You Ever Served in the Military initiative, which encourages providers to ask about and document a patient\u2019s military background, including family.<\/p>\n

This work requires a cultural shift. Only about 30 percent of veterans receive their care from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Chapman says. Some may be \u201cdual managed,\u201d receiving primary care in the community and specialty care at the VA, or vice versa, which can bring challenges.<\/p>\n

Troy Underbrink, DO<\/a>, a MultiCare family medicine provider and veteran, says that even he faces challenges when working with dual-managed patients. Sometimes he and a patient\u2019s VA provider are managing the same or related conditions and plans aren\u2019t communicated.<\/p>\n

As a veteran, Dr. Underbrink is comfortable asking service-related questions and making possible correlations between service and health conditions than nonveteran providers. But knowledge of a patient\u2019s status is the first step.<\/p>\n

McCay implemented a veteran status question across MultiCare\u2019s Yakima region to ensure they\u2019re identified at intake. He hopes to spread that practice across the state in the coming years.<\/p>\n

Common health disparities in veterans and potential causes<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Of the 18 million veterans in the U.S. in 2018, one in four had a service-related disability, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).<\/p>\n

Veterans self-reported higher rates of obesity, stroke, cancer (specifically skin cancer), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), arthritis, kidney disease and diabetes compared to nonveterans, according to CDC data. The study concluded that the physical demands of service have increased significantly over the years, which may put veterans at greater risk for these health conditions.<\/p>\n

Military service over the years has involved exposure to harmful chemicals<\/strong>, intense physical demands <\/strong>and mental health challenges. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Exposure to one chemical, Agent Orange \u2014 commonly used by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War to clear vegetation \u2014 has prompted disability compensation for the following diagnoses:<\/p>\n