M2 discussion N502

.docx

School

Aspen University *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

HCA110

Subject

Health Science

Date

Oct 30, 2023

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by ButterflyRoses

In recent years, there has been a shift from inpatient care to outpatient care. Reasons for this change include less nosocomial infections, reduced costs, and improved patient outcomes. This has also led to excess hospital beds. So, the question becomes with an excess in hospital beds, what is the rationale for the continued support of the VHA. We continue to fund the VHA because we have an obligation to our veterans for the debt they paid and continue to pay by putting themselves in harm’s way to protect our interest here in the US. The funding we provide, helps to ensure they receive adequate care in all aspects of their lives. The funding also helps to support our mainstream healthcare system, as the VA is the largest provider of our graduate medical education and a major contributor to medical and scientific research. Many physicians and other health care providers were trained by the VA. The government owns the hospitals, outpatient clinics, rehabilitation centers, nursing homes, and pharmacies, as well as employs all the healthcare staff are employed. The care is also standardized with a focus on veteran related issues. According to Shulkin (2016), “VHA is the nation's largest provider of graduate medical education and a major contributor to medical and scientific research. More than 25,000 active volunteers, 113,000 health professions trainees, and nearly 16,000 affiliated medical faculty are also an integral part of the VHA community.” There is also a program within the VA called “Whole Health” which has a holistic approach to healthcare that includes physical, psychosocial, and economic determinants of health as well as critical support services for family members and caregivers. The VHA is better equipped to provide care for their veterans as it relates to physical and mental health such as spinal cord injury, amputations, chemical exposures TBI, PTSD, substance abuse, suicide prevention, all of which help to reintegrate these veterans back into civilian life. These services could not be reproduced in the mainstream health system as there are too many components within the private sector that are not integrated in the same way as the VA. The VHA has a long-standing history with their patients, thereby having complete access to their medical records, the same cannot be said for the private sector. This advantage allows for better patient outcomes: lower cost, fewer medical errors, increased preventive care and patient satisfaction. The biggest issue within this model is the long waiting periods. To combat this issue congress enacted laws allowing veterans to use non-VA healthcare facilities when their waiting period would exceed 30 days. (Sultz & Young, 213b) Works Cited: Sultz, H. A., & Young, K. M. (2013b). Health Care USA . Jones & Bartlett Publishers. Shulkin, D. J. (2016, May 1). Why VA Health Care Is Different . PubMed Central (PMC). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6369034/

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