Veterans’ healthcare nowadays requires a community-wide investment and commitment to meet their needs. Sometimes these needs are unique. Not infrequently, long-term illnesses or life-threatening injuries are involved.
Our aim is that Lehigh Valley’s military service members, veterans and their families receive accessible and integrated health care services of the highest quality along the time continuum of care — including specialized services unique to their needs, no matter the source.
In reality, the vast majority of veterans and their families living in the Lehigh Valley depend upon community hospital networks when they seek care. Indeed, less than 20% of veterans in the Lehigh Valley derive any form of healthcare from the VA. Though that percentage could be higher, most would be ineligible for permanent VA healthcare anyway — a little known and under-appreciated fact by general public.
Since 2011, LVMAC has dealt with that reality. It would be foolish not to do so. While it has sought to work collaboratively with the U.S. Departments of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) and any other other governmental health care agencies (inclusive of state and local ones) wishing to provide first-class care to military service members, military veterans and their families, the majority of its focus as been on the local healthcare establishment in the valley in an effort.
One result has been the formation of an alliance called the Healthcare in Our Community Task Force or Alliance. Over time, all the hospital networks in the area and then some have been involved. Currently, these include: Coordinated Health, Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network, Lehigh Valley Health Network, and St. Luke’s University Health Network.
Consequently, although there have been other efforts directed towards families and educators in the mental health area and in increasing the availability of accredited veterans service officers to help veterans obtain their healthcare benefits, most of our healthcare endeavors are unnoticed as they involve the education of medical professionals and their supporting staff, changes to operating protocols, and improvements in communications and workings with the local Veterans Health Administration — matters largely unseen or unnoticed by patients and the public alike.
However, some products may prove useful to you as well:
To learn more about our efforts, visit our blogsite and Pressroom (on this site). Occasionally we post news of significant events that have occurred.